Sailor Duelists
by Rowan Cousland
Summary: A strange dream, a card game tournament, and destiny all lead Usagi and the Inner Scouts to Domino City, and into the lives of Yugi and his friends. What does fate have in store for these heroes? And what are Usagi's dreams trying to tell her? The answers await them in Domino City. Romance, Adventure, and Friendship ensue in "Sailor Duelists". Yami x Usagi, and many other parings!
1. Prolouge: Just a Dream

Sailor Duelists

A Sailor Moon and Yu-Gi-Oh Crossover

By Rowan Cousland

Prologue: Just a Dream

_**A/N: So I'm pretty sure a tone of people have done this type of storyline before, but I want to do my own whether that is the case or not. And this is my first time writing a full length story with any Sailor Moon characters, so some of the scouts may seem OOC. I apologize in advance for that if it does pop up. So…. Yeah….. Enjoy! :D**_

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><p><em>She stood upon her balcony, watching the landscape before her. To most, the lands of the moon looked dead, dry, and dusty. But to her, they were calm and peaceful. The dust was bothersome at some points, but she was raised not to care about it.<em>

_The night sky added true beauty to the desolate scenery. Like diamonds inlaid into black velvet, the stars twinkled brightly, bringing a smile to her lips._

"_The stars are beautiful tonight." A male voice spoke behind her._

_She didn't turn around. The voice only caused her smile to widen. "Yes, they are." She replied. "They seem brighter than usual, almost as if their happy about something."_

"_Well, when someone as beautiful as you is gazing at them, Princess, they have every reason to be happy. Honored even." He wrapped his strong, tanned arms around her waist, resting his chin upon her shoulder, and kissing her neck. "But of course, the stars are nothing compared to the light in your eyes, my princess."_

"_Atem…" She whispered, his name lingering for a moment in the air. "You're hiding something." _

_He looked up at her for a second, trying to hide the fact that she was correct. "What do you mean?"_

"_You can't hide anything from me." she replied. "What is it, Atem? What's wrong?"_

_He let go of her waist slowly, and stepped towards the balcony. He leaned against it, staring out where she had just looked away from. He sighed. "I need to return home tonight. Something has come up, and requires my attention."_

"_What is it?" She repeated. _

_He gripped the railing tighter, shutting his eyes. "I'm not going to lie. I received a message from home yesterday. Something is at work. Something dark; something evil."_

"_And they need you back at home to do what? To fight it?" She asked, the worry in her voice becoming more obvious by the second. _

"…_Most likely yes."_

_She put her hands on his arm. "Let me come with you." She said. "I can help you fight."_

_He turned to her, taking her hands in his. "No, your place is here. The Guardian of Mars spoke of a vision. She spoke of a dark force nearing the Moon Kingdom. You need to be here, ready to fight, if it does."_

_Tears formed in her eyes. "But… But Atem… I can't. Not without you. I need you here! I'm not strong enough._

_He placed a hand on the side of her face, wiping a tear away with his thumb. "You are." He whispered. "You're stronger than you think. I promise, I'll return here as soon as I fix things back home. I'll fight anything that threatens to come our way. But… Promise me that you'll stay safe. Promise me that you'll stay out of trouble."_

"_I promise." She said, without a moment's hesitation._

"_A close friend of mine will stay behind to protect you if needed. He's a prince, from Earth, like me. He's sworn to guard you with his life. Keep this, and your promise to me, in mind. _

"_I will." She whispered, closing her eyes._

_Gently, he pulled her into his arms, embracing her one last time, breathing in her sweet, sweet scent. Running his fingers through her long silky hair. Kissing her soft, warm lips._

_He would miss this. These sweet, tender moments with her._

_When their kiss ended, their lips stayed only inches apart from each other. "I love you." He whispered._

"_I love you too." She replied softly, fighting not to burst into tears again._

"_Your majesty." Another male voice called from behind them. Atem turned to face the voice. "Yes?"_

"_It is time for you to go." The man replied._

_Atem turned around, facing his princess one last time. "Goodbye." He said, placing a kiss upon her forehead. "Be safe."_

_As her love turned, and began to walk away, she fought to keep the tears at bay. She watched, speechless as her prince joined the other man, and made his way down the hall._

_She slid to her knees, the tears finally winning their battle against her._

"_Come back for me Atem!" She cried down the hall, choking on sobs that had formed with the tears. "When all of this is over, come back for me!"_

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><p><em>He glanced over his shoulder one last time, contemplating on whether to return to her side once again. He clenched a fist, a tear rolling down his own cheek.<em>

"_I'll protect her, your majesty." The man beside him said, attempting to comfort him. "I promise."_

_Atem nodded, turning around once more. "Thank you, Prince Endymion. You have no idea how much this means to me."_

_Endymion nodded, leading Atem once again to his departing point. "Safe travels my friend." _

_A small smile formed on Atem's lips. "The same to you, my friend." He glanced one last time at his princess, who had finally gotten back on her feet, attempting to calm herself. That one damned tear returned to Atem's cheek. He brushed it away before turning back to Endymion. "Tell her I love her." he said. "And tell her I'll be back as soon as I can."_

_When Endymion nodded, agreeing to it, Atem turned, and walked the rest of the way himself._

_Using all of his strength in the Shadows, he summoned a doorway back to his home. "I'll come back for you, my princess." He whispered to himself. "I'll return once all of this is over….." More tears fell, causing his magic to falter. "I'll return for you, Princess Serenity."_

_With those words, Atem stepped through the gateway, returning to his home planet._

_Little did any of them know how much Atem was needed in the Moon Kingdom, or how much Atem needed Serenity in his fight on earth. _

* * *

><p>"Come back for me…." Usagi Tsukino whispered in her sleep. "Please… Come back for me….. Atem…."<p>

The ringing of an alarm clock shocked the teen from her sleep. With a cry, she jumped up from under her blankets to check the time.

"Crap! I'm going to be late!"

Usagi jumped up from her bed, rushing to get her clothes on and grab her backpack. Even on her last day of school for the year, she was going to be late.

She cursed that stupid dream for making her oversleep. Yet, at the same time, she didn't regret it. The only weird thing about her dream was that she couldn't see anybody's faces, and the dream had suddenly ended with the words, "Come back for me." She quickly dismissed it, seeing the time once again.

In her mad dash out the door and down the sidewalk, Usagi had caught up with her friend Ami Mizuno.

"Usagi, where have you been?" The smart girl demanded. "I've been waiting for you! We're going to be late, and we have a scout meeting after school."

"Sorry Ami." Usagi said. "I overslept. I was having this weird dream last night."

"So was I." Ami admitted. "What was yours?"

"Well…." She started, but was soon cut off by the school bell ringing across the street. "I'll have to tell you later Ami. Let's go!" she grabbed onto her friend's hand and ran across the street to her school, barely making it in time for their first classes.

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><p><em><strong>AN: So, in case you couldn't gather, I'm going with the Japanese character names for both series, there will be some elements from the English Dub, and there is total AU in this storyline. But whatevs I'm just glad I'm finally doing this story. Let me know what you guys think so far! And if there is any confusion whatsoever, it will all be cleared up in the next chapter! Also, this story will change points of view and from flashback to present day, a lot! Just keep that in mind! Remember, reviews make the world go round, and add sugar to my coffee! :D**_

_**2**__**nd**__** A/N: The rest of the story (aside from flashbacks) will take place around Episode 30-ish (Right after Sailor Venus comes into the show, and before they find out who the Moon Princess is.) for Sailor Moon and the beginning of Season 2 for Yu-Gi-Oh. And in this story, Usagi doesn't fall in love with Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask like in the manga/anime, but does admire him and consider him an ally because of how he helps her all the time. It'll make more sense as I go along. And, Yami/Usagi is the obviously main pairing here, but there will be some sub-pairings as well. Though for some of them, I have yet to decide. If you have any ideas for pairings, let me know :D**_


	2. 1: A Plan of Action

Chapter 1

A Plan of Action

**_A/N: Because I wrote a prologue, despite what says, this IS chapter 1. So yeah….. Enjoy! :D_**

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><p>Usagi's dream still bothered her, even when she had finally reached homeroom. Why couldn't she see anyone's faces? Why did her dream end with a woman shouting, "Come back to me, Atem"? And more importantly, who exactly <em>was<em> Atem? These questions refused to leave her mind, and had swarmed in her head like a pack of angry wasps.

"Usagi? Helloooo? Earth to Usagi!"

Usagi was so wrapped up in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the hand of her friend Naru waving in her face. Nor did she hear the girl's attempts to get her attention.

_"Maybe I'm looking into it too much…"_ Usagi thought. _"Maybe it really was just a dream." _But if that truly was the case, why the hell couldn't she shake the feeling that it wasn't?

"Usagi! Anybody in there?" Naru asked again, still waving her hand in front of Usagi's bright blue eyes. Just by looking at her, Naru could tell that those eyes were caught up in a daydream. "Usagi!... YO! BUNNY!"

Usagi's thoughts snapped back to attention at the use of her old nickname. "Huh? What?"

"You were spacing out again." Naru reminded her.

"Sorry Naru. We're you saying something before that?"

Naru rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's your move."

_"My move?"_ Usagi looked down at her desk, seeing a set of cards laid out, and about 5 more cards in her hand.

Then she remembered. She and Naru were playing Duel Monsters, and she had spaced out during Naru's turn.

"Sorry Naru." Usagi repeated. "Got a little distracted."

"More than a little." Naru countered. "Did you have another rough night?" Usagi nodded in response. "More bad dreams?"

"Not exactly bad dreams." Usagi replied. "Just… weird ones….. So, it's my turn right?"

Naru smiled. "Yep. I have two face down cards, and Enchanting Mermaid in defense mode."

Duel Monsters had become really popular in school. Almost everyone Usagi knew had a deck, and played the game religiously. The only two people she knew that didn't were Ami and Rei.

Rei didn't play the game because she found it pointless, and Ami never truly got a hang of it. Minako (though she was called Mina for short by everyone else) had been the first to introduce the game to the Scouts. She went on for weeks about her deck constructed entirely off of Fairy Type Monsters.

Makoto (Also one with a shortened name in the group, Mako) had followed soon with the craze, constructing hers off of the Grave keeper's Deck.

Usagi's own deck was based entirely off of warrior and fighter type monsters. So far, she's only won two duels against her friends. Mako had won almost all of them. Mina followed close behind her.

Though Usagi wasn't as good at the game as she would like to be, she still found it fun, and addicting. The different kinds of strategies and card combinations made the game a challenge, and unpredictable.

Their game continued until they neared the end of Homeroom, the results being what they usually were.

Usagi losing.

"That's game." Naru said triumphantly. "I win again."

Usagi tossed down her cards."Damn it! That's the sixth time this week! How did you get so good Naru?"

"It just takes practice." Naru replied. Upon seeing her best friend's disappointment, Naru put a hand on Usagi's shoulder. "Hey, cheer up. Every game teaches you something different." A wide grin then crossed her lips. "Hey, there's a Duel Monster's tournament coming up in Domino City this weekend!"

"That's just outside of town." Usagi pointed out, her spirits lifting.

"Exactly! Maybe you can go to that game shop that's become so famous, and get some new cards for your deck!"

Usagi mirrored the grin on Naru's face. "That's a great idea! And maybe I could even try my hand at the tournament!"

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Usagi. You'd still need to practice."

Usagi nodded, though she was secretly dismissing her friend's previous statement. When the bell rang for her next class, she carried out her day with high hopes, and a cheery mood.

* * *

><p>Yami was distracted.<p>

That much was obvious to Yugi. As for what it was that was distracting the spirit, the young gamer couldn't even guess.

All he knew was, Yami had been acting this way since the day he and Anzu went to the Domino City Museum, and had uncovered more bits and pieces of his past. He'd even woken Yugi up from sleep the previous night, claiming that he was having weird dreams.

It never actually dawned on Yugi that the spirit even slept. But at that same time, it made sense. Switching back and forth between bodies was tiring enough for Yugi; he could only imagine what it was like for Yami.

Currently, the spirit had manifested himself next to Yugi, using the empty desk next to him as a seat, and was staring out the window.

_"Hey, Pharaoh?"_ Yugi had asked during homeroom. _"What was that dream you had?"_

Yami hadn't responded at first. He himself was deep in thought, going over the very dream Yugi was asking about over and over again. _"I'm not sure I can even explain it. It was….. Strange."_

_"Well, what can be stranger than what we've been facing?"_

A smile formed on the spirit's lips. _"True. Ok, you win."_

He explained to Yugi about a dream where a man was walking down a hallway, away from a weeping girl. From there, he explained how the man was leaving for somewhere. As for where and why, he wasn't sure.

_"One thing is for sure, he loved her. That girl he was leaving behind."_

Yugi had become wide eyed throughout the story. _"That _**is** _strange."_

_"Even stranger, I couldn't see anyone's faces. It's almost as if something was clouding them."_

_"Ok, you win that one. That's beyond strange."_

_"That's what I'm saying."_ The spirit turned his gaze back out the window. He pondered over the dream once again.

That one name. That was one thing that clung to his mind more than anything. He knew it from somewhere, but his mind refused to reveal anything more than that.

"Serenity." He whispered to himself.

_"Huh?"_ Yugi asked barley hearing the spirit's whisper.

Yami's attention snapped back to his hikari. _"Oh nothing. By the way, you did number five wrong on your homework for math. It should be nineteen. Not Twenty-Two."_

Yugi glanced back down at his work, mentally going over the math in his mind, and realized that Yami was correct. He quickly changed it.

With that distraction, Yugi forgot all about what he'd asked Yami.

That was exactly what Yami was going for.

* * *

><p>"That's game! I win, Mina."<p>

"Christ, Mako. You've gotten good." The blonde girl exclaimed. "You play like a pro now!"

The tall brunette grinned triumphantly. "All that practice really paid off."

Rei rolled her eyes. "If you two are done, we have a Scout meeting going on here."

The two girls shrugged, packing up their cards.

Ami and Usagi had seated themselves on the front steps of the temple where they normally held these meetings. Rei was currently sitting on a bench behind them, waiting impatiently for this meeting to officially begin.

Two cats, one white and one black, took their place in front of the five girls. Luna, the black cat, was the first to speak.

"So, I know you all are wondering why Artemis and I called you here. It has recently come to our attention that Domino City, a town just outside of Tokyo, has been stirring with dark energies. We fear that something even more powerful than our current enemy might be residing in that area."

"Just last year," Artemis, the white cat, chimed in. "There were several strong spikes in that energy. And with the tournament announcements for that card game you have all grown so fond of, the dark energy has increased in numbers."

"And because you all, save for the two of you, are so interested in that card game, Artemis and I have devised a plan."

"What kind of a plan?" Ami asked.

"Under the disguise of a summer vacation, we want you to go undercover at this tournament." Luna explained. "Under the guise of duelists, you'll not only be getting to the bottom of all these dark and evil energies, but you'll be able to play the game you love to keep you motivated."

"So, what exactly has been going on that the Sailor Scouts are needed?" Mako asked.

"Quite a few things actually." Artemis replied. "One of them being, quite a few people have been dropping into comas, with no explanation as to why. All of them are surrounded by that negative energy."

"Artemis and I were able to check out the town while you were all in school today. I can honestly say, there is definitely something wrong in that town, people's lives are at stake, and it's our duty to protect the people in that town."

"Luna's right." Rei added.

"This sounds like a pretty good plan." Mako said. "But I've looked up the rules for the Battle City Tournament. Only professionals are allowed."

"Don't you worry about that. Artemis and I have taken care of it. Once we reach Domino City, Mina and Mako will sign up for the tournament."

"Hey! What about me?" Usagi cried. "I want to do it too!"

Luna glanced from Artemis, to her owner. "Are you sure, Usagi? We all know that you're not…"

"I want to do it!" Usagi insisted. "I'll never get better at the game unless I try."

Luna sighed. "Alright, I'll have Artemis fix it tonight."

"Oh!" Mina exclaimed, after a moment of silence. "I just remembered something! We have someplace we can stay for the Tournament. My cousin lives in Domino City."

"Well it's settled then. We'll leave tomorrow morning. Don't worry about your parents either. We already took care of that. They all know you're going to participate in the tournament. Just rest up, and be prepared."

All the girls nodded, and the meeting was adjourned.

All of them returned home, excited for the trip that was only a mere eight hours away.

* * *

><p>The scouts all met up at the temple at 8:00 the next morning, each one more anxious than the other for this trip. This entire plan was a cross between crime fighting, and card game playing. What could be better?<p>

Mina was especially excited. For the first time in three years, she'd finally see her cousin again. But to her, they were more than just cousins. They were the best of friends. Mina spent almost every summer with him before she was six. From there, his parents went through a nasty divorce, and they barley saw each other. They attempted to pick up on the summer time traditions, maybe getting to see each other for a week in the summer. Then, it came to a complete halt when school started to become time consuming for the both of them.

"When's this cousin of your supposed to get here Mina?" Usagi asked, her voice bordering the line of whiny and annoying.

"He said he'd be here around 8:00. 8:20 at the very latest. I'm sure he'll be…." She paused, looking ahead of her. "I think that's him!" she waved her arm in the air, motioning towards a blue minivan driving towards them.

The car horn honked once, and pulled up next to the curb. The driver got out slowly, and Mina seemed to be holding her breath.

"Hey Mina! How's it going?"

A grin crossed her lips. "Jounouchi!" she cried, stepping forward and landing their traditional punch to his shoulder. Jounouchi never was one for hugging. "How's life treating you?"

"You know same old, same old." Jounouchi said smiling. "So these are your friends?"

Mina nodded. "Yep. Let me introduce you." She pointed to each one of the girls, calling off their names. "This is Usagi, the sort of leader of our group. That's Ami. That girl there is Rei, and…." She trailed off, seeing something off about Mako. Her mouth was open slightly, and her gaze seemed so distant. "Um… This is Makoto, but we call her Mako for short." Mina finished.

"Nice to meet all of you." Jounouchi said with a grin. "Look, sorry to cut this short, but if you guys want to get into town anytime soon, I suggest you load up into the van. I gotta have this back at my friend's house by 11."

"Wait!" Usagi said panicking. "Where are Luna and Artemis?"

"We're leaving them here." Mina said. "Think about it Usagi, do you honestly think it's a good idea to lug around two cats during a card game tournament?

Usagi frowned. "I guess not…." She glanced behind her seeing that the two cats were perched on top of one of the temple statues. It didn't seem right to leave them behind, but Mina was right. It wouldn't be a good idea to bring them.

She waved goodbye to them before climbing into the van.

As the doors closed, and the van drove off, Luna turned to Artemis, and said, "Was it truly wise to let them go without us."

Artemis shrugged. "They've been trained well, Luna. Now it's time to put their training to good use." Artemis hopped down from the statue, and stretched. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

Luna frowned, looking off into the distance.

She couldn't shake the gut feeling that the scouts were going to need them.

_"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to stay behind."_ She thought.

But nonetheless, Luna jumped down from her perch, and joined Artemis in his stretching.

_"Well, they're all gone. Might as well make the best of it."_

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><p><strong>AN: Well, there you go guys. Chapter 2! I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out! And a little side note, Rei's attitude is a little bit like how she was in _Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon: The Live Action Series._ And I finally have all the pairings sorted out! But I'm not going to reveal it just yet. :D It will all be revealed in due time. Until then, keep on reviewing and favoriting and stuff. It adds sparkles and rainbows to my gloomy, rainy days.**

**Sailor Cousland says Tee Hee Hee! :D**


	3. 2: Bittersweet Memories

Chapter 2

Bittersweet Memories

The car ride into town had been quick. Despite this, Mina had used the time to catch up with Jounouchi. Through him, she learned that his sister, her other cousin, Shizuka, was in town for an eye operation. Mina remembered Shizuka having eye problems as a kid, always having trouble reading, and having to hold things close to her face to even make out a single letter. It had only gotten worse as the years went by.

"I wish her the best of luck." Mina had said. "Could I go visit her?"

Jounouchi nodded. "We could stop by later tonight if you want." He went silent for a moment, thinking something over. "Look, I kinda lied to you over the phone last night. I can't have you guys stay over at my place. Some things have gone down. Bottom line, you'll be staying at my friend Yugi's house."

"Wait a second," Usagi cut in. "Do you mean Yugi Motou? The guy that one the Duelist Kingdom Tournament?" Realization finally hit her, finally seeing who Jounouchi was. "You were the runner up from Duelist Kingdom! Oh wow! I'm so sorry, I didn't even recognize you." Usagi sank back into her seat, turning a slight shade of red.

Jou smiled slightly and shrugged. "No big deal. I seem to get that a lot."

"I recognized you, if it helps much." Mako piped up. "I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure if you wanted the attention or not."

Jounouchi's smiled widened. "Thanks Mako."

Mina cleared her throat slightly, bringing the conversation between her and Jounouchi back, and sending the rest of the girls back to theirs. "So, why the change in plans?" she asked quietly. "….. Is it your dad again?"

Jounouchi's eyes trailed back to the road. "It's nothing major. There just isn't enough room for everybody. I was so excited to hear you were coming into town that I got a bit ahead of myself. Luckily, Yugi offered up his place when I told him. He's the one that pointed out I wouldn't have enough room anyway."

Mina could sense he wasn't telling the entire story, but she kept it to herself. She didn't want to ruin the rest of the ride.

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><p>When they finally got into town, it was only a matter of time before they pulled up in front of a small game store with a few cars parked along the sidewalk. Mina looked at Jou questionably. "Are you sure we're at the right place?" The building didn't look like the famous game shop they'd heard about at school.<p>

He smiled. "Yep, this is it."

With that said, the girls got out of the van. When on the sidewalk, Mina turned back to her cousin. "You coming Jou?"

"I'll be there in a few. I gotta return the car to my friend Anzu. Her place is just up the road, so I won't be long. Just head on in."

Mina nodded, and turned towards the shop.

The group opened the front door of the shop to reveal a cheery interior. There were a few people in the shop itself, browsing shelves and the display case.

An old man that stood behind the cashier counter greeted the girls with a smile. "Hello, ladies. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Mina stood ahead of the group, returning the man's greeting with a small wave. "We're friends of Jounouchi, and we're looking f-"

"Oh!" The old man said, cutting Mina off. "You're the group of friends Yugi invited to stay with us! Just head around back. Yugi should be in the living room."

Mina nodded. "Thank you… um…."

"Sugoroku. Sugoroku Motou. I'm Yugi's grandfather."

"Pleased to meet you." Mina said with a pleasant smile. "I'm Mina, and these are my friends, Rei, Ami, Mako, and Usagi."

Sugoroku nodded. "Nice to meet you all." A woman that stood at the counter cleared her throat lightly, grabbing his attention. "Oh! Sorry girls, but I'm going to have to cut this short. So many customers, so little time."

The girls nodded in understanding, and slipped through the doorway behind the counter.

"That was pleasant." Ami said, breaking the silence.

"He kind of reminded me of Rei's grandpa." Mako added with a smile.

Mina smiled, leading the girls into the next room.

A boy sat upon the couch in the spacious room, watching the news on TV. He was short, that much was obvious. Comparing him to Mako, he'd probably only come up to her waistline, even with the extra height of his gravity defying hair.

And his hair! Mina had seen some crazy hairstyles in her lifetime, but his definitely took the cake. **_((A/N: And probably ate it too! :D….. ok, that's my first and last YGO: Abridged quote. I swear!))_**

She cleared her throat slightly. "Um, excuse me?"

The boy whipped his head around, clearly surprised by the girl's voice. "Um, are you Yugi Motou?"

"What kind of a question is that? Of course he is!" Usagi pointed out rather loudly. "Did you _not_ watch Duelist Kingdom last year! I'd recognize that hairstyle anywhere!" She pushed herself past Mina, regaining her place at the head of the group. "Hi! I'm Usagi Tsukino! I'm a huge fan." She stuck out her hand.

The boy smiled, finally standing up. He took a hold of Usagi's hand and shook it. "Pleased to meet you. And yes, I am Yugi." He released her hand, looking over the other girls. "You're Jounouchi's friends right?"

The girls nodded in response, and went through their introductions.

Throughout the meet and greet, Yugi felt something stirring within his Millennium Puzzle. He offered the girls the couch, and excused himself to the bathroom. And once confined to the room, Yugi opened his mind for the Pharaoh.

_"Yami, is something wrong?"_

The spirit manifested himself next to Yugi, leaning up against the counter top of the sink. _"No, not at all. Why would you think that?"_

_"I felt something… off."_ The boy eyed the spirit curiously. _"Something is wrong. I can see that much. What is it?"_

The Pharaoh was silent again, his mind tangled with thoughts. _"….. That girl…. There is something so…. Familiar about her."_

_"Who?" _Yugi asked, pointing out that there were five of them currently out in the living room

_"Usagi, I think her name was."_ The spirit replied. _"I don't know what it is but…. I can't shake the feeling that I know her…. You've never met her, right?"_

The boy shook his head. _"Nope. This is the first time I've ever even seen a girl like her."_

Yami sighed, running his fingers through his hair. He couldn't shake this feeling, no matter how hard he tried. His dream came back to him, along with the name, Serenity.

The thought that the girl in his dream had blonde hair did occur to him. But, there were millions of blonde haired girls on this planet. Any of them could've been in his dream. Hell, he could've been dreaming about Mai for all he knew.

But deep down, he knew it wasn't. He knew his dream had something to do with the girl sitting in Yugi's living room. Whether the dream was about her or not, remained to be seen.

_"Yugi, could I take over for a little bit?"_ Yami asked once he'd gathered up his thoughts. _"I'd like to get to know this girl a bit more… If that's alright with you, of course."_

_"Of course!"_ Yugi replied, smiling. _"If it'll help you with your memories, I'm on board!"_

The Pharaoh returned the smile, and returned to his place within the puzzle. From there, Yugi opened up his mind, and retreated to his soul room, allowing the spirit to take over.

While the conversation had taken place, the five girls had seated themselves throughout the living room, talking about the upcoming tournament. Mako had changed the subject to Usagi's sudden fan girling over Yugi.

"I was not fan girling over him Mako!" Usagi insisted.

"Oh really? Did you see your eyes! They were the size of the moon! And your face was about as red as Mina's ribbon." Mako argued.

"Oh yeah? Well… what about you with Jounouchi? You were practically drooling over him!"

"Shut up!" Mako snapped. "I was not!"

Ami sighed, and Rei and Mina rolled their eyes as the three continued with the argument.

Mina was the first to notice that Yugi had returned to the room. She cleared her throat loudly in an attempt to gain the girls' attention. "Guys?" The three girls responded by ignoring her. "Guys?... GUYS!"

The girls quickly turned to Mina, finally realizing that she was calling them. She jerked her head in the direction "Yugi" was standing in, showing he had returned.

Usagi scratched the back of her head, her face turning red again, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry about that Yugi. Just had a bit of a disagreement."

"Yugi" smirked, chuckling at the girl. "It's no problem. It happens." And with that, he sat down on the couch, next to Usagi, and they picked up on the meet and greet. They told about their cards and strategies for the tournaments. Eventually Jounouchi had joined the group, like he had promised, and the conversation.

"I hate to say this Mina, but we're going to have to wait until tomorrow to go see Shizuka. I've got to head home after this. You guys are alright with staying here, right?" The girls simply nodded in response.

Usagi, however, had an ever growing strange feeling. Ever since Yugi had returned to the room, she had felt something off about the teenager. There seemed to be some new-found confidence surrounding him. His wide, violet eyes seemed have become sharper and narrower.

The color of his eyes was what really threw her off. The soft violet had seemed to turn blood red.

She shook her head, blinking a few times. The unsettling color remained. _"Maybe it's just a trick of the light."_ She concluded. _"That's it. And I'm tired. Right, that makes sense. I'm just seeing things. That would also explain why no one else seems to notice."_

But, oddly enough, Usagi wasn't so convinced.

* * *

><p><em>She stood off to the side of the room, watching as others twirled across the floor. In the crowd, she could see all of her friends dancing, laughing, and having the time of their lives.<em>

_She took a seat on a bench, sighing to herself. Day in and day out she found herself daydreaming of **her **prince charming. Someone to come sweep her off her feet and take her away from this planet. She longed for adventure and excitement. Something she knew she could never find on the moon._

_"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"_

_The deep voice took her by surprise at first, but the shock subsided quickly. She shook her head in response._

_The man that had spoken to her seated himself next to her on the bench. "What brings you over here my fair lady? The party is out there, on the dance floor."_

_The girl turned away from him, shaking her head again. "It just doesn't seem like much fun."_

_The man chuckled. "Then why are you here if you're not enjoying yourself?"_

_"Let's just say that… It's required of me to be here."_

_"Why do you…" the man paused, taking in her appearance for the first time. "Oh… I apologize, Princess. I didn't even recognize you."_

_She turned to him, puzzled. "How exactly could you recognize me?"_

_"Your mother speaks quite highly of you. In fact you're all she's talked about since I've arrived here." he said. "Forgive me. I haven't properly introduced myself. You may call me Atem."_

_A smile crossed her lips. "A pleasure to meet you Atem. I trust my mother has already told you my name?"_

_Atem mirrored her smile. "That she has, my dear lady. She has also expressed her desire to find you a husband, and suggested that I try my hand at courting you."_

_Her face turned bright red. It was to be expected of her mother to attempt such things, but for her to suggest it to a complete stranger..._

_Atem chuckled at her response. "Don't worry Princess. I told her I have no interest in marrying a woman I know little of, whether she be a princess or not. Call me crazy, but I actually like to get to know women before proposing to them."_

_The girl joined in on his laughter. "What an odd sentiment. Getting to know somewhere before marrying them? The very idea boggles my mind." The sarcasm was obvious in her voice._

_The laughter grew louder, and quickly subsided when stares from other guests had met their eyes._

_"Well Princess, I guess it's time for me to carry out what I had originally came over here to do." He stood up, and held out his hand to her. "Would you care to join me in a dance?"_

_Her eyes trailed over him, almost as if she was scanning him. "You know how we dance on the moon?"_

_A smirk crossed his lips. "I may come from a different land, but I know of your customs Princess. So, I'll ask you again, would you care to dance with me?"_

_The princess hesitated at first, but after a moment of contemplation, she nodded, and slid her hand into his. _

_He led her out to the center of the dance floor. That had earned them a few stares from the rest of the guests, but neither of them seemed to care. As soon as the next song began, Atem placed his hands along the girl's slender waist._

_A deep blush crossed her face as she lifted her hands and rested them on his shoulders. The smirk that was playing on the man's lips only grew. "Fear not, my lady. I will be the upmost gentleman." He whispered into her ear, only causing the blush to grow. _

_They moved as one across the dance floor, their thoughts only focused on each other. Never before had either of them felt this way about anyone._

_At the end of the night, the two found themselves standing upon a balcony, overlooking the royal garden._

_"That was fun." The princess admitted. "I can't remember a time where I've had that much fun. Thank you, Atem."_

_"It was my pleasure, my lady. I must admit that the feelings are mutual."_

_She smiled, gazing out at the stars. "So, you're from Earth right?" Atem nodded in response. _

_"Is it beautiful?" she continued. "I've spent hours watching Earth, slowly turning. I've always wanted to see the beautiful blue oceans, and what makes the planet so green."_

_"Well, where I come from, there isn't any green. Nothing but soft gold." Atem said, pointing off to a small patch of yellow on the planet. "I come from there. Egypt. There, it's always warm and the sun is always shining, powered by the god, Ra."_

_"It sounds nice." The princess replied. "Much nicer than here at least."_

_Atem could see the long for freedom in her eyes. She wanted off of this rock. _"Who can blame her?"_ he thought._

_"Princess, if you would like, I could take you with me when I return home again." He offered. "It is obvious that you want to travel. I can see you're a girl who wants adventure. My home land has plenty of that." He held out his hand to her again. "What do you say?"_

_"You'd really take me back to earth with you. A girl you barley even know?" She questioned._

_"Tonight, I've learned enough about you that I would like to know more. And I'm not going to be on the moon for much longer."_

_Thought she didn't admit it then and there, she felt the same way about him. She'd felt a strange connection with him the moment he'd spoken to her. Almost as if she was supposed to meet him in the first place._

_That connection had combined with her longing to explore other worlds and get away from home. At this point, her heart gave her no choice._

_"If you wish to bare me as a traveling companion, then yes." She replied with a smile. "Take me with you Atem. Take me as far away from here as we can get."_

_A smile crossed his lips. _"Your desire is my command." _He thought._

_That one small offer had been the beginning of the most beautiful romance the universe had ever seen._


	4. 3: Game On

Chapter 3

Game On

"Usagi! Wake up!" a voice called out to her in the midst of her dreams. "Come on Usagi! We're going to leave without you!"

"Five more minutes Mako." Usagi mumbled, curling up into a ball and sinking deeper into the couch.

"We don't _have_ five minutes! The registrations for the tournament are today. It's either you get up now, or you don't get to sign up at all."

Usagi jumped up from the couch, bringing herself to her feet, and grabbing for her backpack. "Why didn't any of you wake me earlier?" she cried, throwing her back pack over her shoulder and rushing out of the room with Mako.

"We tried." Mako replied. "You just kicked whoever came within a two inch radius."

Usagi rolled her eyes, rushing out of the shop door, seeing that Yugi and the girls were standing on the sidewalk, waiting for her and Mako. "Sorry about that, guys." She said, taking her place within the group. "Are we waiting for someone?"

Yugi nodded. "My friends are coming with us, and Jounouchi is signing up for the tournament too." He paused, looking off to his left. "And that's them!" He waved his hand in the air, signaling his other friends, Anzu, Honda, and, of course, Jounouchi.

Once again, they went through the introductions between Yugi's friends, and the Scouts. Once that had been sorted out, they began their walk to the store where registrations were being held.

Usagi and Mina had bonded with Anzu instantly, sharing interest in both recent fashion trends, gossip, and, in Mina's case at least, love of dancing. The three giggling girls had earned eye rolls from both Jounouchi and Honda. Ami, Rei, and Mako kept to the sidelines of the group, talking amongst themselves.

Once they had reached the shop, Usagi could barely contain her excitement. She found herself surprised that she wasn't bouncing off the walls with all her built up energy.

Mina stood in front of her in the line they had formed. Her having more experience in Domino City, and Duel Monsters, had officially made her leader of the group. Not that Usagi minded, of course. Less stress for her that way.

"Excuse me." Mina said politely, gaining the cashier's attention. "We're here to sign up for the Battle City Tournament."

The cashier smirked. "Doesn't surprise me. You and everyone else in the world. Name please?"

"Minako Aino."

The man turned to his computer, typing furiously. He squinted at first when the page popped up, but then shrugged. "Minako Aino. Winner of three regional championships in Tokyo, and qualified for the tournament." He smiled. "Congratulations Miss Aino." He bent down behind the counter, and pulled up a big box. "And here is your Duel Disk. Comes with instructions and everything." He passed the box over to Mina.

"Thank you." Mina replied, tucking the box under her arm.

"Next!"

Usagi was about to go forward, but Mako had beat her to it. "Makoto Kino" The tall brunette said.

"Makoto Kino. Winner of four regional championships in Tokyo, and participant in one national tournament. Made it to the semi-finals before defeated. Correct?"

Mako simply nodded, and that was enough for the clerk. He handed her the box that served as her rite of passage into the tournament.

Once again, Usagi found herself cheated out of her turn to enter. Yugi and Jounouchi had gone ahead of her, revealing that Yugi was more than qualified for the tournament. Jounouchi, not so much. Through Honda, the girls learned that Jounouchi had made enemies with Seto Kaiba.

"Wait, Seto Kaiba?" Mina asked. "As in Kaiba Corporations Seto Kaiba?" Which she then realized was a stupid question. How many Seto Kaiba's were there in the world?

Honda nodded. "Yeah, he and Jou kinda got off on the wrong foot during Duelist Kingdom. Hated each other ever since." This then led Mina to wonder. What could he have done to piss off Seto Kaiba, of all people?

Despite this, Jounouchi had been allowed to enter. (Which Usagi found odd, but didn't think much on it.) And Usagi's turn finally came. She rushed up to the counter. "Usagi Tsukino." She said proudly. As the cashier pulled up her information, Usagi began to wonder what Luna and Artemis had written about her. _"I wonder if they made me a regional champion too…. Oh! Oh! What if they made me an international champion? That would be perfect!"_

"Usagi Tsukino." The clerk said, scanning over the information. "It says here that you've participated in seven different tournaments already, barely coming in fourth place in almost all of them…."

Usagi's fists clenched. She was _so_ going to kill Luna when she got home.

"But, you do meet the requirements for the tournament. Here's your Duel Disk."

She immediately took back her previous thought, snatching up the box from his hands, and giggling with excitement as she and the rest of the group exited shop.

With a smirk, the clerk lifted up a telephone next to him and dialed a number. "Everything is going according to plan, Master." He spoke into the phone. "In fact, there are three girls with cards that might be of interest to you." He glanced back down at the computer screen, taking note of the three cards. The man on the other end of the phone interrupted his thoughts. "Excellent. I'll see to it that the Rare Hunters deal with them." And with that said, the man hung up the phone, and returned to his work.

* * *

><p>When the friends left the store, they made a quick trek back to Yugi's house to drop off their Duel Disks. This way, the friends wouldn't have to lug them around all day. Once this was finished, Yugi had brought up the subject of what to do next. Unsure of what there was to do in town, the Scouts (aside from Mina) found themselves without suggestions.<p>

"We could go to the arcade." Anzu suggested.

Jounouchi glanced down at his watch for a moment. "Sure, I've got time to kill before I head to the hospital."

The rest of the group gave their vote of approval, and they took off down the sidewalk towards the arcade.

Once they were inside the building, the group had split off in excitement. Mina and Anzu had gone off towards Dance Dance Revolution, Ami and Rei had decided to try their hands at some shooter game, and Honda had gone off to play pin ball. This left Usagi, Yugi, Jounouchi, and Mako to decide what they were going to do.

Mako's eyes lit up upon seeing the air hockey table. "Hey Jou, bet I could beat you in a round of air hockey." She said, nudging him in the side. Jounouchi grinned, elbowing her side lightly in response. "You're on! Though I will admit, I am quite a pro at air hockey."

With that said, the two dashed off to the game.

Usagi scanned the rows of games, trying to find the best one to suit her. Then, her eyes widened in shock. "They have the Sailor V Game here?"

Yugi stared at her for a moment, wondering if she was serious about the question. "Of course they do. It's practically all over Japan."

In her excitement, Usagi had latched onto Yugi's arm, and yanked him behind her. "It's a two player! Let's play!"

The two sat themselves in front of the game, put their money into the slot, and started. As the game went on, and the two passed through the first level, Usagi had noticed that she was doing fairly well. Usually, she would've been dead by now, and on her fifth try.

"Jump over that!" Yugi shouted, pointing at the screen. "Awesome! Now pick up that heart!"

With Yugi's guidance, and Usagi's new-found skill in the game, the duo had made it to the final level.

Usagi bit her lip. She'd never made it this far before. _"What if I fail, like I always do?" _she wondered.

A comforting hand landed on her shoulder. Usagi whipped her head around to see "Yugi" seated next to her. Except this time she could see the difference between Yugi, and the figure sitting next to her, plain as day. Those dark red eyes were no trick of light.

"You can do this, Usagi." He said, his voice full of confidence. Those words were enough to convince Usagi to forget about the conclusion she'd made about this figure, and continue the game. She pressed the start button, the screen showing the two Sailor V figures, up against some giant monster.

With combined attacks, and special abilities (courtesy of "Yugi") the two took down the monster within a matter of seconds. The game screen exploded with the "Congratulations, You Win!" logo with balloons and confetti trailing down the screen behind it.

Usagi shot up her hands in victory. "Yes! I won! We won!"

A smirk crossed "Yugi's" lips. "You did well Usagi."

She smiled in return. "Thanks." She replied. "I couldn't hav- Hey, what's that?"

She bent over, picking up a silver plastic egg from the ground. It was one of those eggs you would get out of prize machines.

"It must have come from the game." Usagi concluded aloud. "_I wonder if Luna had something to do with this. Like at the arcade back home."_

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced over at "Yugi", realizing that it was him. She laughed softly. "Oh yeah. Sorry."

She popped the egg open, and two necklaces fell into her lap. One was silver, chain and all, with a crescent moon shaped charm. The second was golden, and with a charm in a sunburst type shape.

Usagi glanced up a "Yugi" for a moment, than back at the necklaces that now sat in her palm. "It's kind of girly, but if you want one, you might as well take one." Usagi said. "I mean, you did play the game with me after all. It's only fair."

By the time she had finished, "Yugi" had already chosen his. The golden sun. "I could care less about how 'girly' it is." He said as he clasped it around his neck. "As you said, it's only fair."

Usagi nodded, struggling to clasp her own pendant around her neck. She turned her back to "Yugi" slightly embarrassed by the situation.

Suddenly, she felt two hands reach from behind her to take a hold of the necklace chain. "Here, let me help." Usagi felt a blush creep slowly across her face as "Yugi" fixed the now tangled chain, and clasped the necklace. "There. Better?"

Usagi nearly stumbled out of her chair, her face turning a violent shade of red. "Um, yeah." She said, her nerves showing in her voice. "Thanks." She stood up quickly, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Um, I think I'm going to find Anzu and Mina. Ok?"

She didn't wait for him to reply. But the time he could even open his mouth, Usagi had already run off.

_"Yami… I think you scared her off."_ A voice piped up in the back of Yami's mind.

_"I hate to admit it, but I think I did."_ Yami admitted solemnly. _"Was I too forward? Did I make it awkward?"_

_"A little bit."_ Yugi admitted. _"I think she notices the difference between the two of us. Which is really odd, because no one else does. That might be what made it awkward. Just give her time to adjust to it, and then you can talk to her again."_

_"Alright. That seems like a good idea."_

And with that said, the spirit retracted from Yugi's mind, giving the young boy back his control.

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you Rei, there's something off about him!" Usagi insisted as she walked with Ami and Rei through the arcade. "I don't know what it is, but something really weird is going on with him."<p>

"And I'm saying that I haven't gotten any vibes off of him." Rei countered. "I'm not saying you're wrong, but_ I_ don't think there's anything wrong with him."

"But I swear Rei, his eyes were like, blood red!"

"Maybe your eyes are just playing tricks on you." Ami added. "It's not uncommon. Certain lightings can cause violet to look red."

"This was no light Ami." Usagi insisted. "It's something else…. Something more."

The three girls soon found themselves at the DDR machine. I huge crowd had gathered around it, and in the very center were Mina and Anzu. Their feet flew across the dance pad, matching up their own dance moves with the game. So far, Anzu had a pretty high score, but Mina was catching up fast.

By the time the song ended, the two girls had ended up with a tied score. Panting, the two stepped off of the pad, receiving a cheering roar from the crowd.

"Wow Mina!" Usagi exclaimed. "That was amazing! You did great! Oh, and you did too Anzu." She added with a sincere smile.

Anzu smiled in response. "Thanks." She said, taking a sip from a small water bottle she kept in her purse. Mina dug through her own purse, fishing out money to go but her own water bottle from a vending machine.

"So, what's the plan now?" Anzu asked.

Usagi shrugged. "We were just going to see if everyone else was ready to go."

"Well, I'm ready if everyone else is." Anzu replied. "I'll go get Mina and we can meet up out front."

The Scouts nodded, and then decided to go find the others.

* * *

><p>The puck slid across the table, nearing its target. Much to its dismay, and the dismay of the player, the puck was intercepted and sent sliding in the opposite direction.<p>

Mako narrowed her eyes, whipping the puck back towards Jounouchi's side of the table. She wasn't going to lose this round.

One second. That was all it took.

One second of Jou's hand twitching. One second of letting his guard down. One second for the puck to slide into the slot, declaring Mako the winner. She shot a fist into the air as a sign of victory.

"Yes! I won that round! That makes… What, three now?"

Jounouchi grinned. "Ok, so you got lucky. But trust me, next time I'll beat you."

Mako returned his grin. "I'll hold you to that… Hey, what time is it?"

Jounouchi glanced down at his watch. "It's almost seven… Damn it!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"I need to be at the hospital in Thirty Minutes! Shizuka's going to have her operation tonight! Sorry Mako, but I need to get going."

By the time Jounouchi had grabbed his jacket, the rest of the gang, including Honda and Yugi, had caught up with them. Jou repeated the same apology that he gave Mako before quickly heading out the door.

"Jounouchi! Wait up!" Mina shouted behind him. When he didn't show signs of stopping, she took off after him.

Mako glanced at the gang, then at the door. "I'm going to follow them and make sure they make it to the hospital. You guys should just head home, I'll catch up. Ok?"

Reluctantly, the rest of the group nodded in agreement, and Mako took off. "Hey guys, wait for me!" She cried.

While she was running, Mako couldn't shake something in the back of her mind.

_"I have a bad feeling about all of this. Something is going to happen tonight…. I just don't know what."_


	5. 4: Drops of Jupiter

Chapter 4

Drops of Jupiter

_**A/N: I'd just like to thank everyone for the kind reviews I've received so far.** **Keep being awesome! :) I also have a feeling that a lot of people are going to like this chapter.  
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Mako trailed a yard behind Jounouchi and Mina, unable to catch up with them no matter how hard she tried. As they rounded a corner, taking a route down an alleyway, Mako stopped at the corner to catch her breath. "Damn, Jou really must be running late."

As she was about to round the corner to attempt to catch up with them, she heard Jounouchi's voice echo off of the alley walls.

"Look, I don't want any trouble here. Just tell me what you want, and we can be on our way."

"We're here for your Red Eyes Black Dragon card, Katsuya Jounouchi." Another man spoke. "Hand it over, and we will let you pass unscathed."

"Hell no!" Mina snapped. "You're not taking anything from him."

"Mina…" Jou groaned.

"No, Jou. You're not going to give up your best card. You can't let these guys bully you."

Jounouchi grimaced, before nodding in response.

Mina smirked. "You hear that? He's not giving you anything so back the hell off."

Mako heard the other man groan in response. "I'm afraid I can't do that. We are the Rare Hunters, and we retrieve rare and powerful Duel Monsters cards by _any means necessary._ If you will not hand over the card willingly, I'm afraid we must resort to more violent matters."

Mako glanced around the corner, seeing three robed men. Their leader stepping forward, slamming his fist into Jounouchi's jaw. Jounouchi toppled to the ground, blood spraying from his mouth. Mina screamed in horror as the two other men began to gang up on Jou, punching and kicking him.

Mina jumped onto one of the Rare Hunters, pounding her fists on his back. "Get off of him!" she screamed. "Leave him alone!" The Hunter spun around, slamming his arm into her chest, and smashing her into the wall. Slowly, she slid to the ground, every part of her body screaming out in pain.

"Mina!" Mako cried, quickly reaching into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out a green pen. She brought it up above her head, and shouted, "Jupiter Power, Make Up!"

An electric tingle crossed over Mako's skin. Like the static electricity that clings to your socks when you scuff across carpet. As the tingle passed over her body, Mako felt her clothes change. Her black jeans had shortened and flowed outward to create a skirt, and her green t-shirt fused with the skirt to create her dress. Her tennis shoes stretched to become her boots. Splashes of white and green were added to the mix, along with her gloves, tiara, and a pink rose belt, and the transformation of Sailor Jupiter was complete.

Mina lifted her head slowly, seeing a green light flash out of the corner of her eye. Struggling to lift her hand, she reached for her own pen and crawled behind a nearby dumpster. "Venus… P-Power… M-Make…. Up!" she fought against the pain racking through her body to release the transformation phrase.

A sudden energy filled her body, dulling the pain until it no longer existed. A sense of warmth passed over her body as she felt her red tank top and blue jeans change into the uniform she'd grown so accustomed to. The heels of her ballet flats grew a few inches and changed from black to orange. The warmth then passed over her eyes, which was something totally new to her. Then, the warmth slowly faded away. Mina opened her eyes to see that she was on her feet again, and fully dressed in her Scout uniform.

In the reflection of a rain puddle, Mina could see that there was something new added to her outfit. A bright orange mask, one similar to the one Tuxedo Mask wore, and the one she'd worn as Sailor V, clung to her face. She smiled to herself, not questioning the change.

Mako jogged over to join Mina. "You ok, Venus?" She asked.

Mina nodded. "Never better, Jupiter. Nice mask by the way."

Mako glanced down at the puddle, noticing her own mask for the first time. Unlike Mina's, hers was green. "But, how…?"

"Don't worry about that now. Right now, we've got some Rare Hunter asses to kick."

Mako smirked. "Right, let's teach them a lesson. "

The two scouts stepped out from behind the dumpster, taking their stances in the alley.

"Hey! Rare Hunters! Over here!" Mina cried.

The three men turned their attention away from Jounouchi, facing the two newcomers. "Stand aside ladies. This doesn't concern you."

"When you're harming innocent civilians it does." Mina snapped. "I won't stand by and watch while you harm this young man for a worthless trading card. I am the Guardian of Love and Beauty. I am Sailor Venus. In the name of Venus, I will punish you."

Mina nodded to Mako, giving her her queue. "Three against one? Such cowards you are. I will not stand by and let this man's bravery be spoiled by uneven odds and your cowardice. I am the Guardian of Courage and Strength. I am Sailor Jupiter. In the name of Jupiter, I will punish you."

The leader of the group grinned. "Sailor Scouts, eh? Well, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." He glanced over his shoulder to the other two Hunters. "Get them."

Mina smirked, expecting that. "Would you do the honors, Jupiter?"

"With pleasure." Mako said, stepping forward. She placed a gloved finger to the gem stone on her tiara. A small golden antenna extended from the tiara, releasing a small shock of static. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a loud crash of thunder echoed across the sky.

"You've crossed a line." Mako mumbled. "Now, you will feel the wrath of Jupiter." She brought up her arms, crossing them in front of her face in a guard stance. She then quickly whipped her arms down to her sides.

Bolts of lightning shot across the ground, striking at the feet of the Rare Hunters, causing them to jump back, clearly frightened.

"Your turn Venus." Mako shouted over her shoulder.

With a quick jump and a flip over Mako, Mina landed on her feet in front of the Hunters. _"Those years of gymnastics really paid off."_ She thought with a smile. She then brought her hand up to her tiara, a soft golden glow forming at her fingertips. With a quick flick of her wrist, three bolts of golden light shot out, striking the Rare Hunters in the chests and sending them to the ground.

The three men struggled to get up, stumbling into a hasty retreat. "Let's get out of here!" one shouted as they took off down the alleyway and out of sight.

A light flashed, and Sailors Jupiter and Venus were no more. Back in their original forms, the two girls quickly ran to the now unconscious Jounouchi.

"Jou, are you alright?" Mina asked, frantic with worry. She got down on her knees next to him, shaking his shoulder. "Jou, wake up already!" She shouted. "It's over! They're gone."

"Wa-What?" Jounouchi groaned, adjusting himself against the wall. "What happened? Where'd those Rare Hunter freaks go?" He placed a hand to his swollen jaw, wincing in pain. A tooth had been loosened, but thankfully nothing was broken.

"They left." Mina said with a smile. "Mako scared them off!"

"Huh?" Mako whispered, obviously confused.

Pure shock spread across Jou's face. "Did you really, Mako?" A small blush crossed the brunette's face. She was lost for words. What Mina had said was partially true, but Mina was the one that finished them off.

"Of course she did." Mina said, standing up and putting her arm on Mako's shoulder. "She's the strongest girl I've ever met! I've seen her take down twice as many men by herself! No, four times as many!"

"Mina, what are you doing?" Mako whispered.

"Just go with. There's a method to my madness." Mina replied quietly.

Jou's smiled returned as he stood up again. "Well, I guess I owe you one Mako. I'm just glad they didn't…" He reached for the deck box he kept attached to his belt, quickly pulling out his cards. "No!"

"What's wrong?" Mina asked. Though, she already had a hunch as to what the problem was.

"They took it." Jounouchi said, slamming the cards back into the case and shutting his eyes. "They took my Red Eyes Black Dragon."

"Bastards." Mako hissed, the sudden anger surprising both Jou and Mina. She clenched a fist, looking back up at Jou. "I'll help you get it back, Jou. I promise."

Mina came into the conversation, trying to lighten the mood. "But right now, I think someone is waiting for you at the hospital. We still need to go see Shizuka. There's still time!"

Jou nodded. "Let's get going then. I'm not going to let this Rare Hunters ruin the rest of my night."

And with that said, the three of them continued on their way.

* * *

><p>Mina and Mako found themselves in the waiting room of the hospital for the rest of the night. During their evening hours, only two visitors were allowed into the patients' rooms. Jounouchi and Shizuka's Mother had filled those slots.<p>

"Hey Mina," Mako piped up after an hour's worth of silence. "Why were you making up all that stuff about me earlier? I've never taken on that many people before. At least, not the amount you were implying."

Mina grinned. "I was just putting in a good word for you for the Cous over there." She said while jerking her thumb towards the hallway Jounouchi had gone down. "Just thought you'd like to make a good impression."

"You didn't have to lie though." Mako pointed out.

"Oh come on, Mako. It was all in good fun." Mina replied. "And besides, he doesn't take me seriously anyway."

"I guess…"

The silence settled over the two once again, only to be interrupted by Jounouchi, as always.

"Hey guys! Guess what!"

The two jumped up, seeing Jounouchi running towards him with the biggest smile on his face they'd ever seen. "She's going to be ok!" He cried. "The doctors said the operation was a success, and she'll be able to see again in a few days! She's going to see again!"

In his excitement, Jounouchi threw his arms around the two girls, crushing them against his chest. After a few spins around the room, and strangled gasps from Mako and Mina, Jounouchi released them, and began the walk back home.

Once they had reached the shop again, the sign was switched to "Closed" and all of the cars were gone. One light shone through an upstairs window, but other than that, the shop looked deserted.

"Gramps normally keeps the shop unlocked." Jou said, opening up the front door. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, 'kay?"

Mina nodded. "Yeah, see you tomorrow Jou."

When Jounouchi had stepped away from the door, and the girls had started to walk into the shop, Jou had stopped Mako.

"Hey, Mako!" He called from the sidewalk. Mako turned around, giving him a questioning look in response. "You really saved my ass tonight." He continued. "I may have lost my card, but at least I'm still alive right? And it wouldn't be that way if you hadn't come along…. I guess what I'm trying to say is…"

Mako laughed, cutting him off. "You don't have to say it Jou. You're welcome. And honestly, you don't owe me anything."

Jou shook his head. "Nope. I'm a man of my word, Mako. I promise, I'll find a way to repay you for tonight…" He paused, turning around. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Mako smiled, watching as he walked away. "Yeah, see you tomorrow."


	6. 5: Battle City

Chapter 5

Battle City

_"They're gone…. All gone."_

_The voice echoed throughout a world of darkness. An assortment of male and female screams could be heard, all of them screaming out different names. The feeling of dread hung in the air._

_"I'm alone…. All alone."_

_A woman's sobs could be heard as she cried out for help. But her cries fell on deaf ears. No one was there to hear her._

_"Cold… So cold….. Rei….. Rei!"_

Rei shot forward from her sleep, gasping. Her head began to pound, as if punishing her for not finishing the dream. Someone was calling out to her…

_"Get a hold of yourself Rei." _She thought to herself. _"It was just a dream damn it. Just a dream… It wasn't a vision."_

"Rei?" Ami's normally quiet voice could be heard through the darkness of the living room. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine Ami." Rei lied. "Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

"Are you sure?"Ami asked. "We've all been having weird dreams lately… And the last time you had a bad dream, it was a-"

"I know." Rei said sharply, cutting her off. "But it's not. Don't worry about it, ok?" She rolled over onto her side, adjusting her sleeping bag she'd brought for the trip. "Just go back to sleep Ami."

Ami sighed, mimicking Rei's actions. Moments later, Ami could hear light snores coming from Rei, signaling that she'd fallen asleep again. At this, Ami began to think. She knew for a fact Rei was lying. The only dreams that had ever shaken Rei from sleep were visions, and Ami knew that was what Rei had seen.

But the ever lingering thought in her mind, before she fell back asleep, was, _"I wonder what it was about…"_

* * *

><p>The Scouts had awoken the next morning surprisingly early. Of course by surprising, that meant by Usagi's standards. It was this first time since they'd met Usagi that the girls had seen her get up before noon.<p>

Another surprise that morning brought was the smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen. Upon this scent, the girls rushed through the kitchen door.

When they entered the room, they found Mako surrounded by batter coated dishes. When she saw the girls enter, a blush crossed her face. "Oh, sorry guys. Did I wake you? Sorry guys. I had a lot on my mind last night. Then I couldn't sleep, and I was up all night, so I thought I'd cook something the ease my mind. Before I know it, it's 8:00 and-"

"Relax Mako, we were already awake. Then we smelt something delicious!" Mina exclaimed. "It makes perfect sense to find you in here then."

A blush crossed Mako's cheeks, along with a giant grin. "Well, take a seat then. The first batch should be done in a few minutes."

And they were. Within moment, Mako had dished up mountains of pancakes for her, and the rest of the Scouts.

As they ate, Usagi took notice of a large purple spot on base of Mina's neck. "Mina, are you ok?" She asked quietly. Her gaze then shifted to Mina's arm, revealing more spots. "You're all bruised!" Usagi gasped. "What happened!"

"Tone it down!" Mako said quickly, almost hissing. She glanced out the kitchen door, then back at the girls. "We were attacked last night."

"Was it _the enemy_?" Rei asked. And despite how vague that phrase may sound, the entire group knew what she meant.

Mako shook her head, and then began to tell them of their encounter with the Rare Hunters.

"I don't believe it." Rei said once Mako had finished. "Grown men attacking a teenager for a trading card. Ridiculous."

"Obviously the Rare Hunters don't see it that way." Mina remarked.

"Who cares!" Usagi exclaimed. "All I know is I'm keeping my deck on severe lockdown! No way are those freaks getting their hands on my cards!"

"But Jounouchi didn't see you transform last night, did he?" Ami asked, dismissing Usagi's statement.

"Nope. He thinks that Mako scared them off. Which isn't too bad of a lie, if I do say so myself." Mina replied, a hint of pride showing behind her words.

"So if anyone asks, that's what our story is." Mako added.

The girls nodded. At that moment, Yugi and his grandfather had finally come downstairs. "I thought I smelt something delicious." Yugi said with a yawn. "What's cooking?"

A grin broke out on Usagi's face. "Only the best pancakes in the entire universe!" she exclaimed. "I swear, you try Mako's cooking, and you'll never taste food the same way ever again."

"Oh really?" Sugoroku questioned, taking a seat at the table. "Well then, let's give them a try."

Mako smiled, and nodded. "Coming right up!"

Within a matter of minutes, Yugi and Sugoroku had fallen under the spell of Mako's cooking. Both of them claimed that it was the best food they'd ever eaten.

While the two men ate, the girls found themselves back in the living room, and making a quick change of clothes before being joined once again by Yugi. This time, Anzu and Jounouchi were with him.

"You ready to head out?" Yugi asked the girls.

The Scouts nodded in response. Mako, Mina, and Usagi sliding on their duel disks simultaneously. "Let's get this game started!" Usagi exclaimed.

And so they did. With Yugi leading the way, the group eventually found themselves in the town square, awaiting for the announcements for the tournament to begin.

"Hey, Yugi!" a female voice broke through the crowd. Yugi found himself turning completely around before finding the source of the voice.

"Mai!" Yugi shouted, waving at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm in the tournament! Duh! Why else would I be here?" The blonde woman said, her face lit up in a giant smile.

"Point taken." Yugi responded. "I'll admit, it sure is nice to see a familiar face."

"I'll say." Mai sighed. Upon noticing Jounouchi, her smile returned. "Hey Jou, I elbow my way through a bunch of nerds to get here, and you don't even say hi to me?"

A grin broke out on Jounouchi's face. "Hey Mai! Long time no see! How's life been treating you?"

"It's been good. Been dueling around the country for a while." She then noticed the tall brunette standing behind Jounouchi, who looked slightly confused. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting something?"

"Huh? Oh!" Jounouchi quickly turned around, facing Mako and the rest of the girls. "Mai, these are our friends, Usagi, Rei, Ami and Mako. And this is my cousin Mina. Girls, this is -"

"Mai Kujaku!" Usagi exclaimed, shoving past Jounouchi.

"Oh great." Rei muttered.

"Here we go again." Ami sighed.

Just like when she had met Yugi, Usagi had become over excited and, to quote Mako, "fangirly".

"I'm sorry, but I'm a big fan of yours Mai." Usagi said, grinning. "I watched you compete in Duelist Kingdom and I was greatly impressed! I can't wait to see you duel in action."

"Be careful what you wish for." Mai replied, winking. "You might be my first opponent."

Before Usagi could even think about responding, a large shadow crossed over the square. Looking up, everyone could see a blimp with a large screen hovering above the town. Within minutes, Seto Kaiba came on the screen, explaining the rules.

The rules were simple enough. Collect six locater cards, and the first ten duelists to do so would move on to the semi-finals. Winner of the duels took the loser's rarest card. **_(A/N: Yes, I know it was 8 in the show, but since the Scouts are involved now, I bumped it up to 10.)_**

Once Kaiba had finished going over the rules, the town square went into mass chaos. Duelists scrambled to find their first opponent.

Mako found herself latching onto someone's arm to keep her from being trampled by the crowd. Mina, who seemed to not be having any trouble in the crowd at all, broke out into a grin, and began to giggle.

"What?" Mako demanded. "What's your….." Her eyes trailed up to see that she was clinging to Jounouchi. Both teens blushed, and quickly released each other. "S-sorry Jou." Mako stuttered. "I just… uh…."

"Yeah… I uh… I get it." Jou responded, scratching the back of his head. His gaze traveled past the crowd, locking onto one person in particular. His embarrassed expression disappeared, replaced with one of fury. His fists clenched, and his gaze hardened.

Mako could see him tensing up at this point. "Jounouchi? What's wrong?"

"It's him." He hissed, the anger becoming more evident with each word. "That bastard that stole my card."

Mako followed his gaze until she too locked eyes with the Rare Hunter. She took a hold of Jounouchi's hand, pulling him behind her and through the crowd. "Come on; let's teach this guy a lesson."

Mina glanced at Mako questionably as she walked away. "Mako? Where the hell are you going!" When the brunette didn't respond, and showed no sign of stopping, Mina sighed, giving up. She turned to Yugi to ask him where the rest of the group planned on heading; she found an empty space where he'd once stood. Usagi was also nowhere to be found.

Mina sighed again, turning to Rei and Ami. Her mood suddenly brightened. "Well it looks like it's just us. Let's see who wants a piece of me."

"I'll take you up on that offer." A voice from behind her spoke.

* * *

><p>Mako continued her way to the table where the Rare Hunter sat, sipping at a cup of tea. He didn't seem to notice them.<p>

"Hey." Mako hissed sharply. "You."

The Hunter looked up from his tea, eyeing the teen suspiciously. "May I help you young lady?"

"Yeah, you can start by cutting the crap. I know who you are, and I know what you have." Mako said, slamming her hands down on the table.

The Hunter kept his composure, setting down his tea cup. "I'm afraid you're mistaken young lady. I'm afraid I've never met you in my life."

"Bull." Mako snapped. "We met last night when you assaulted my friend you _coward_."

The way she'd spat out coward had rung a few bells. The Rare Hunter looked up at her for a moment, scanning over her. This couldn't have been the same girl.

"And guess what." Mako continued. "I've got something you might want. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her deck. She flipped through her cards for a moment, taking her prize card in between her middle and index fingers. "You Rare Hunters are into rare cards, right? Well I've got a card for you. Grave Keeper's Visionary."

The Hunter's eyes widened. He only knew of one person that used a Grave Keeper's Deck, and that was his master. But he knew that not even his master carried the Grave Keeper's Visionary. Only a few were ever made, and even less were actually owned.

Mako smirked. "So, you're interested? I'll make you a deal. I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you give Jounouchi back his Red Eyes. And, by Battle City rules, you must hand over a locater card to me."

"Fair enough. But if I win, I take your Grave Keeper's Visionary, and your locater card."

"Deal." Mako said, turning on her Duel Disk. "Let's duel."

**_A/N: Well, there's that chapter folks. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment! Will Mako defeat the Rare Hunter with a powerful secret weapon? And who is the duelist facing Mina? You'll have to wait and see folks ;) Also, I have a poll up on my profile._**

**_Eventually in this story, I am going to be adding in Mamoru, and pairing him up with someone from the Yu-Gi-Oh 'verse. I've got a few options up on the poll. As my wonderful readers, I would appreciate it if you voted, because I. AM. STUCK! Please and thank you :) _**

**_Sailor Cousland says Teeheehee! :)_**


	7. 6: Visionary

Chapter 6

Visionary

"Mako, you don't have to do this." Jounouchi reminded her for the fifth time since she'd started her duel.

Mako sighed to herself. She knew Jou meant well, but she wasn't one for repeating herself. "Jou, yes I do. Can we drop this now?"

"No, we can't!" Jou snapped. "You don't need to go through with this. I'm not letting you give up your card, and your spot in the tournament."

"Jou… Please. Just let me do this." Mako replied quietly. "I'm not doing this because I want to…. I'm doing it because…." She turned around, facing him once again. "I made a promise to you…. And I always keep my promises to my friends."

Jounouchi was sincerely touched. This wasn't the first time someone had given something up for him. Mai had given up the finals in Duelist Kingdom to help him get the money for Shizuka's operation. Back then, he was definitely grateful. But now, he felt almost… happy about Mako going to such lengths for him. It was an odd thing to explain, but it felt right to him that she was doing this.

At that, he finally went quiet, and Mako returned to the duel at hand.

At the moment, her opponent was playing on the safe side. He was constantly placing monsters in defense mode, and barely even denting her life points. So far, she'd brought him down to 3,000 life points, only through card effects, and spell cards. His moves fit for a beginner, an amateur. And yet, Mako was not comforted by this. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was stalling. He was waiting for something…. The question was, what was it?

Mako's fears didn't change when her turn came about. She began to take note of certain actions her opponent would do throughout the duel. He would constantly smirk, and stare down at his hand, as if each turn gave him exactly what he wanted.

When Mako drew her next card, a smirk of her own formed on her face. She had a way of stopping him, at least for now.

"Alright, here's how it's going to go down." She said. "I activate the magic card, Card Destruction. Meaning both of us have to-"

"I know damn well what the card does." The Hunter snapped. "Just get on with it."

Mako rolled her eyes, sending her hand to the graveyard and drawing a fresh one. If her strategy worked out, discarding her hand would be worth it.

And it was.

Mako's smirk only grew upon looking at her hand. "So, you remember how I discarded my hand right?"

"Of course I do. What of it?" Her opponent questioned.

"Well, guess what card was in that hand?" Mako continued, genuinely awaiting an answer. "Give up? It was Grave Keeper's Visionary."

"So? It'll do you no good in your graveyard, I can tell you that much!"

"That's where you're wrong. Because guess what, I activate the magic card Monster Reborn!" Mako discarded the magic card, and retrieved her Visionary.

The man simply laughed. "You're more of a fool than I thought! Can't you see that my monster is in defense mode? Your monster won't do any damage to me, so there was no point in even using that poor excuse of a strategy."

"I'm not done, you ass!" Mako snapped.

The Rare Hunter eyed her suspiciously. "Very well, please continue."

"I've got one more card to use." Mako said, picking up where she'd left off. "My last card is a handy little magic card. Perhaps you're familiar with it. Say hello to Negate Defense!" She slipped the card onto her duel disk as the look of pure shock crossed the Hunter's face. His monster raised itself from its guard stance, the counter reading its attack point of 2,000.

"Now, Grave Keeper's Visionary, attack his monster!"

The shockwaves from the attack shook the ground, and nearly sent the Rare Hunter to his knees. The life point counter on his duel disk spun down to 1,000. Mako smirked; she was just one attack away from winning.

"Way to go, Mako!" Jounouchi cried. "Show this ass whose boss!"

The Rare Hunter stumbled back to his feet, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. "I must say, young lady, that that was quite an impressive strategy." He drew his next card, and didn't seem too pleased. But upon glancing at his hand again, a smirk crossed his lips. "Now it's time for my flurry of magic cards! I play Nightmare's Steel Cage!"

Mako gasped as a large hologram of a cage formed over her and her monsters. She knew this card well. Both she and Mina used it in their duels. She couldn't attack for two of her turns.

"And two turns is all I need." The Rare Hunter continued. "I also play Pot of Greed, allowing me to-"

"I know what it does!" Mako snapped. "Anybody with a starter deck knows what that card does. Let's just get this over with."

"With pleasure." The Rare Hunter snarled, drawing his next two cards. A wider smirk appeared. He was just one card away now…

"I know what you're doing." Mako said simply.

Her words shocked him out of his daydreams. "W-what? How could you possibly know?"

"I know that you're stalling so you can summon something amazingly powerful." Mako continued. "You keep on smiling each turn, so it's obvious you keep on drawing cards you need for it. Or, in my theory, you're drawing pieces of that card. And there's only one card that has pieces to it." **_(A/N: That I know of…. Don't pick on me if there are more…. I honestly don't remember…)_**

Mako lifted her hand, pointing at the Rare Hunter accusingly. "You're trying to summon Exodia The Forbidden One. Aren't you?"

His eyed widened, and the shock became even more evident. "How! How did you know?"

"I paid attention." Mako replied. "And let me say, I've got the perfect strategy in order to defeat you. You won't be allowed to summon Exodia when I'm done."

The Rare Hunter's eyes narrowed. _"She's bluffing….. She has to be…. And yet, I don't have anything to protect me if she's not… Not even Exodia will work at this point. She might have something that could negate my Steel Cage."_ He sighed. _"Better I summon something to protect me."_ He slapped a card onto the disk. "I summon the head of Exodia in defense mode, and end my turn!"

Mako's smirk returned. "Perfect." She thought, laying her hand onto her deck and closing her eyes. "Come on, give me something good…."

"Mako!"

Mako's eyes shot open, and her gaze trailed over to see Yugi and Usagi. "Oh my god!" Usagi exclaimed. "Sorry Mako. I didn't realize you were dueling! Good luck to you Mako! Don't give up!"

Mako smiled. "Thanks Usagi. I won't." For some odd reason, that had boosted her confidence. Knowing that Usagi was there seemed to help.

With her new found confidence, Mako drew her next card.

Her smile returned. "Get a load of this!" She cried, slapping her card onto the duel disk. "I play Heavy Storm, destroying Nightmare's Steel Cage!"

With the cage gone, Mako's Grave Keeper's Visionary attacked, wiping out the Rare Hunter's remaining life points.

The Rare Hunter dropped to his knees, looking as though he was going to burst into tears. His cards slid from his hands, scattering across the pavement. "I… I lost." He whispered.

"Of course you did." Mako said. "Those that commit crimes such as yours on the innocent cannot remain unpunished. This is the only punishment fit for you."

Her tone of voice brought back memories from the previous night to the Hunter. His eyes widened. "Y-you're….. You're…."

His words were cut off by a piercing cry that escaped from his lips. His clutched his head, feeling as if it was being struck by a hammer.

Mako took a step back, watching as a faint glow of an eye erupted from the man's forehead. He was back on his feet suddenly. His gaze was narrowed, icy cold, and directed at Mako.

A dark chuckle escaped from the Hunter's lips. "I must thank you, my dear." He spoke in a voice that was no longer his. "By defeating this pathetic excuse of a servant, you've removed one of my many weak links."

"What the hell?" Jounouchi gasped.

"Who are you?" Usagi cried. "And what do you want with Mako?"

"Believe me, it's not your friend I'm interested in. Or, at least, it wasn't in the beginning." The Hunter responded. "No. The one I'm interested in is…" His lifted his hand, pointing at his intended target. "You." His point had landed on "Yugi."

"I look forward to when you and I duel, Pharaoh." The Hunter continued.

Upon hearing this new title, Usagi immediately went into panic mode. "What? A Pharaoh? But that's not possible! They died, like, forever ago! Why is this guy calling you a Pharaoh, Yugi!"

Yami grimaced, but the Hunter simply chuckled again. "Looks like you haven't been very honest with your friends, Pharaoh. But, I guess I haven't either. My name is Malik. Of course, you've already met who I'm speaking to you through. Consider this a warning Pharaoh: You've stolen a lot from me. And I will get my revenge, one way or another. But for now, I must bid you all goodbye." His gaze fell on Mako once again. "And I look forward to seeing you again as well, my dear."

Jounouchi's fists clenched, and his anger flared. Had Mako not been standing in front of him, and his intended target not being there physically, he would've lashed out at this Malik and pounded his face in. As for why he was feeling this way, he wasn't exactly sure. But he felt that it was his right to do so.

With all being said and done, Malik had exited the body of the Rare Hunter, and the Hunter collapsed back down to the ground.

Mako quickly strode over to check the man's pulse. His breathing was short and ragged, but the man still lived. His eyes looked lifeless, as if the light that had been in them were extinguished.

"His soul is gone." Yami said, speaking for the first time. "Whoever this Malik is, he has the power to remove people's souls."

"How horrible!" Usagi exclaimed.

Mako nodded in agreement. She pitied the man. She couldn't imagine any fate worse than losing one's soul…

"Oh, Mako! You forgot! You get his rarest card and his locator card now!" Usagi said, picking up the Hunter's duel disk.

Mako stood up, dusting the dirt from her jeans. "Let me see that." She said, taking the disk from her friend. She retrieved the cards from the slot and thumbed through them. Within seconds, she found her prizes.

She smiled, slipping the remainder of the man's cards back into the disk.

"Ooh! What did you pick Mako? Can I see?" Usagi asked, obviously excited. Mako ignored her, and strode back over to Jounouchi. She slipped the locator card into her back pocket, and held out the card that had started all of this.

The Red Eyes Black Dragon.

"There you are, Jounouchi." Mako said with a smile. "One Red Eyes, as promised."

Jou held up a hand, but it wasn't in an accepting manner. He combined this gesture with a shake of his head. "Mako, you keep it."

Utter confusion shot across Mako's face. "W-what? Why?"

"I've been thinking, Mako. You stuck your neck out for me, a guy you barely even know. That really touched me, and I really want you to know that…. And let's be honest. I don't think I'm going to make it that far in this tournament, but you… You definitely will. You're my friend Mako, and I want you to hang onto that card as a symbol of that." He tossed his head back, throwing his mass amounts of blonde hair out of his eyes. A small smile crossed his lips. "Besides, I still owe you for saving my ass last night. Consider this as payment for that."

A light blush crossed Mako's cheeks, along with a smile of her own. She nodded in response. "Alright." She said, sliding the card into her disk. "Thank you, Jounouchi. I'll take good care of it. I promise."

A smug smile formed on Usagi, and she stepped away from the two of them. She was no idiot, despite what the others would say. She could tell the two wanted to talk alone.

Upon turning around, she saw "Yugi" looking over the set of cards the Rare Hunter had dropped.

"Watcha got there Yugi?" Usagi asked.

"Something… interesting." Yami remarked. "Take a look at this."

He flipped the cards over in his hand, showing them to Usagi. She gasped, and her jaw dropped. "No way! He had all five pieces of Exodia!"

"Correction: Five _fake_ pieces of Exodia." Yami replied quietly. "These cards a thicker than the normal cards, and the backing has a different color. These were fakes."

"No way!" Usagi whispered. "Should we tell Mako?"

Yami glanced over at the brunette who was locked into a conversation with his best friend. A small smile formed on his lips. With a quick twist of his hands, he tore the cards in half.

"I don't think we should." He said, straightening himself once again. Once the cards had fallen to the sidewalk, he lifted his heel, and brought it down on the cards, grinding them into the pavement. "She dueled well today. Her accomplishments shouldn't be ruined by something as pathetic as fake cards."

He stepped away from the small pile of paper bits, and began to walk away from the scene. Usagi followed suit out of impulse.

"I don't know about you, but after watching Mako duel, I'm itching to duel someone. How about you and I scout for some victims?" Yami asked her, giving her a wink.

Usagi smiled. "I'm in." she replied, giving him a thumbs up.

It was strange, even though Usagi had been able to tell something was off about "Yugi", she found herself not caring as much anymore. Of course, she felt a bit uncomfortable around him at points, and she had a hurricane of questions going through her mind, but the part of her that was itching for her first duel seemed to overrule all other senses in her.

But, in the back of her mind, she knew there was something about "Yugi" that wasn't normal.

And she swore to herself that she wouldn't rest until she figured out what.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Well, there's chapter everybody! And I promise that this will be one of the few chapters where i give a somewhat of a play by play between the duels, and in the next chapter I'll bring Mina back into focus, and maybe introduce some of the other pairings :D I'm so excited!  
>Speaking of pairings, I'd like that thank those of you that are voting in my Mamoru pairing poll! For those of you that haven't voted, and want to, I'll keep it open until I post the next chapter. Ok?<br>Thank you to all that have favorited, reviewed, and messaged me. You've been keeping this story alive, and boosting my confidence with every chapter. Keep on rocking, guys! :)_**


	8. 7: Fate

Chapter 7

Fate's Twisted Hand

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Alright, so this chapter is a teensy bit longer than my others, but I'm ok with that. Hope you all enjoy! :D**_

* * *

><p>Mina grinned triumphantly as her monster attacked her opponent's life points, the counter spinning to zero.<p>

Like Mako, the Scout of Love found herself facing a Rare Hunter that had attacked her in the alleyway the previous night.

Unlike Mako, Mina didn't have anyone from her circle of friends there to share her triumph with. Rei and Ami had gone off by themselves after Mina had accepted the duel with the Rare Hunter.

After her duel, she'd received her locator card, and the card Splendid Venus. It would go perfectly with her deck.

Now, Mina found herself bored, and alone. Everyone around her was either caught up in their own duels, or just didn't look like an interesting challenge.

On the bright side, she finally had some time to herself. "What to do, what to do… Maybe I could do some shopping while I wait." She thought aloud. "I remember seeing some cute boots on the way here this morning."

Unfortunately, she found her thoughts short lived. When walking past an alley, she saw a man who looked to be in a fight with another man.

"Oh man! Not again!" Mina groaned, skidding to a stop.

"You call yourself a duelist?" one of the men shouted. "This deck is pathetic! You wouldn't know the difference between a spell card and a trap card!" The man shouting grabbed onto his victim's shirt, throwing a punch, and forcing him into a wall.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Mina shouted, running towards them.

A sharp cry of a whistle cut through the air, grabbing the attention of both Mina, and the man that had started the fight. Their gazes shifted to a boy, who couldn't have been older than ten, with a whistle in hand. "You there!" He shouted, pointing at the man. "You're in violation of Battle City Regulations! As commissioner of the tournament, I'm going to have to disqualify you."

"Disqualify me?" The man repeated. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to take orders from a snot-nosed punk like you." His fists were clenched, and he looked about ready to strike at the child that was challenging him.

Mina quickly reached out, grabbing onto his arm. "Alright, that's enough. Just take your punishment like a big boy and move on."

The man whipped his arm out of her grasp, lashing out at her with his other fist. Mina quickly spun out of his line of fire, latching back onto his arm. With a quick tug, and a backwards kick to the man's shin, Mina flipped the man over her shoulder. The man landed on his back, and whatever air was left in his lungs had escaped in a sharp huff.

Mina's attention then turned to the duelist that man had injured. After seeing that he was not badly hurt, she sent the man on his way.

Mokuba watching in awe as the woman before him flipped a full grown man, who must've had at least sixty pounds over her, and at least a foot's worth of height. Never before had he seen a girl perform such an amazing act of self defense.

"Wow…." Mokuba gasped. "That… That was amazing!"

Once the thug had retreated, Mina turned to the boy, smiling in response. "It was nothing, kid. But you really shouldn't be going around challenging people like that."

"But it's my job!" Mokuba countered. "I wasn't lying when I said I was commissioner. I really am! And _nothing_? I wouldn't say _that_ was_ nothing_!"

"I just couldn't stand by and watch him hurt someone over a card game." Mina replied. "It was just a… impulse, I guess."

"Yeah… Well… I'm glad you did it, either way. I have no idea what would've happen if you hadn't shown up."

"I do." A gruff voice spoke, joining in the conversation. "I would've had to intervene."

Mokuba gasped, spinning on his heel. "Seto!"

Mina too had gasped. "Seto Kaiba!" she whispered. "_No way! The girls are NEVER going to believe this!"_

Mokuba ran to his brother, taking his place at his side. "Did you see what she did, Big Brother? It was amazing!"

Kaiba nodded simply. "I did." His gaze shifted to Mina. "What's your name?"

"M-Mina." She stuttered, still caught in the spell of star struckness. She was talking to Seto Kaiba. Seto Freaking Kaiba! The man was practically a legend among duelists!

"Well Mina, I must thank you for helping my brother." Seto began. Mina couldn't stop blushing. _"He said my name!" _She squealed internally.

"Though, I'm sure if you hadn't interfered in the first place, all of this violence could've been avoided."

If there had been a record playing, it would've scratched to a stop right then and there. "E-Excuse me?" Mina exclaimed.

"You heard me." Kaiba snapped.

"I protected your brother! Like he said, who knows what could've happened if I hadn't shown up!"

"She's right, Seto!" Mokuba piped up.

"Enough!" Seto barked, his icy blue eyes shifting back at Mina again. "Very well. Since you did help my brother, I'll make you a deal."

He set a briefcase to the ground, and opened it. "In this case are all the cards you will ever need in a duel. I'm willing to give them to you, provided you duel me first."

Mina's eyes widened. "No way! You'd seriously give up a briefcase full of Duel Monsters cards?"

Kaiba nodded. "But, as I said, you must duel me for them. If you win, you get all of these cards."

Mina looked up at him, puzzled. "But you're Seto Kaiba! You're running this tournament! What reason do you have to be participating in it?"

Kaiba scowled. "My business is my own." He snapped. "Do you want to duel or not?"

Mina scoffed in response. "Sure, I'll take you on. Do the same rules still apply?"

Kaiba nodded. "If I win, I get your locator card. But I'll be generous and let you keep that pathetic rare card of yours. I doubt it'll be of any use to me.

"_Oh, that is it! He is so going down!"_ Mina thought. Aloud, she said, "Alright, and if I win, you give me your locator card, _and_ your rarest card, _and _that briefcase. Unlike you, _I'm_ not so generous."

Kaiba smirked. "Very well. Let's duel then."

* * *

><p>Rei was lost. Hopelessly lost.<p>

Though the shrine maiden wouldn't admit it, the city of Domino had become a labyrinth.

It wasn't her fault she'd gotten lost, of course. No, the blame rested on the duelists that had separated her from her only living map of the town.

When Mina had started her duel, other duelists in the area swarmed to watch, separating both Rei and Ami from Mina, and each other. _"Ridiculous!"_ Rei thought to herself. _"They all acted as if they'd never seen a duel in their lives! I swear when I see Mina again I'm going to cling onto her arm and never let go until I get a better idea of this town."_

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Rei caught a glimpse of a head of aqua colored hair. Her heart leapt within her chest, hoping that she had finally found Ami.

"Ami!" Rei called out, shoving her way past the crowd of people walking ahead of her. "Ami! Wait up!"

The azure head continued to walk ahead, turning down an alleyway. This confused Rei. _"Why is she running away from me? Can she not hear me or something?"_ She called out her friend's name one last time, but received no response. She had no choice but to follow down the alleyway.

Rei had to sprint to catch up, shooting her hand outwards. When she was close enough, that hand latched onto the girls shoulder. "Ami! What's the matter with you? Why were you…?" Rei's sentence was cut short when the girl finally turned around. Rei's heart sunk.

"Ami? No, my name is Miki. You must have me confused with someone else."

Rei sighed heavily. "No kidding." She muttered. "Sorry. You look a lot like my friend from behind."

The girl smiled. "No problem! I hope you find her though. It's easy to get lost here, especially when there's a big event like this going on."

"You can say that again." Rei sighed. "But thank you anyway." She turned away from the girl, mentally kicking herself. _"I should really convince Ami to dye her hair a different color. That way, she'll stand out in a crowd…. Like pink! Nobody has pink hair anymore!"_

While Rei was lost within her thoughts, she'd unintentionally ended up in yet another alleyway. Because of her being so distracted, the Scout of Fire didn't notice the motorcycle plowing its way down the alley way and coming right at her. By the time she did notice it was almost too late.

"Get out of the way!" The driver cried. Rei's trance broke, and with a sharp cry, she threw herself out of the way of the bike, rolling up against the wall.

The driver quickly jerked his bike to his right until he skidded to a screeching halt. He quickly pulled of his helmet, tossing his mess of sandy blonde hair from his dark lavender eyes.

Those eyes were fixed into a glare, and directed right at Rei. "What the hell is your problem?" He barked.

"_My_ problem?" Rei snapped. "You could've killed me!"

"Who randomly stands in the middle of an alleyway anyway?" The man asked. "That's just asking for trouble."

"Who the hell rides a motorcycle down an alleyway in the first place!" Rei countered with a smirk. "Isn't that what roads are for? That's attempted murder just waiting to happen."

The driver was lost for words. "Yeah…. Well…." He sighed. "Fine. It looks as though you win this argument my dear." The man finally took notice of Rei's position, and reached out a tanned hand to her. "Here, let me help you up."

A wave of discomfort washed over Rei as she touched his hand, leaving an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong here. Very, very wrong.

"Um, thanks." She said, quickly taking her hand away once she was back on her feet.

"It was no problem, my dear. It was the least I could do for nearly causing, what would've been, a very tragic accident. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Namu."

His words brought no comfort to Rei's nerves, and the name he gave her didn't seem right at all. But something about him made her automatically believe him, despite her better judgment.

"I-I'm Rei." She said, trying her hardest not to have her voice crack due to her nerves. _"Something is not right about this guy…. But why do I feel like I have no choice _but_ to believe him?"_ _**((A/N: I'm gonna say this now, it's not love she's feeling ;) ))**_

"A pleasure to meet you Rei." "Namu" said. "Though, I wish it could've been a different way of meeting."

"Y-Yeah, me too." Rei replied, her words sounding alien as they escaped her lips. Almost as if it wasn't really her speaking. Her mind suddenly felt clouded, forbidding her from thinking properly.

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm afraid I have some important business to take care of." He said, turning on his heel and striding back to his bike. He secured the helmet back on his head and replaced the goggles over his eyes. "I hope we meet again, Rei."

As he rode away on that motorcycle, Rei was finally able to clear her mind. She placed her hand to her head, leaning up against a wall as a sudden burst of pain came to her. _"What the hell just happened?" _She thought. _"I couldn't think… I couldn't move… What's wrong with me? Oh Ami, I hope I find you, or at least one of the girls, soon!"_

_**((A/N: Is it a bad thing I was listening to El Tango de Roxanne from Moulin Rouge the whole time I was writing that section with Rei and Mal- I mean Namu...? *cough cough* LIAR! *cough cough*))**_

* * *

><p>Ami stood within the aisle ways of heaven.<p>

Or at least, that was how she would describe it as. In reality, Ami was standing in a bookstore, browsing the shelves to her heart's content. After her separation from Rei and Mina, she'd found herself in that cozy little bookstore, completely entranced by its collection.

"_So many different things to choose from. Fiction, Science, History…"_ Ami sighed to herself, her fingers dancing across the spines of the books as she hummed a random Mozart that came to mind. _"Where to begin…"_ She mused. _"Maybe I should just pick by author! Hmm… Let's see. There's J.K. Rowling….. No, I've already read everything by her….. Anne Rice? ….. No, no vampire books. I need something new….. Oh! I know! How about-"_

"Egyptology!"

A few seconds had passed before Ami had realized her voice had clashed with a male's simultaneously. Along with that, her hand had brushed up against another pale hand who sought the book. Ami's face turned red before she'd even laid eyes on the boy beside her.

Both hands pulled away in shock, and the owners of those hands turned to apologize to one another.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Ami gasped. "I didn't realize you wanted that book too."

"Oh no, please. It was all my fault!" A calm voice responded.

"Don't worry about it. You wanted the book, go ahead and take it."

"No, no. I couldn't."

"I insist!"

The male sighed in response. "This is silly." He said, taking the book down from the shelf. He held it out to Ami. "Here, take it."

It was then that Ami's gaze lifted from the floor, and she finally got a good look at the man. She was greeted with a soft gaze from equally soft brown eyes. Those eyes were occasionally covered by strands of unusual pale hair. But when it came to hair colors, Ami was definitely not one to talk.

She felt a blush creep across her face as she accepted the book. "Thank you."

"No problem." The young man said with a smile. A harsh aura of awkwardness washed over the two, and Ami quickly turned to face the shelves once again. "Um, let's see if we can't find you a copy too. I'll feel bad if I don't."

"N-No, that's perfectly fine." The man said, reaching out to stop her hand. Ami was caught off guard by this, and immediately lost her balance. She toppled to the floor, taking five other books with her. The young man gasped, quickly bending down to help her.

"Oh, god! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to, honestly!"

"It's alright." Ami said, half laughing. "It was an accident. It happens." She picked herself up again, then bent down to help the man pick up the books.

"I caused all this trouble," The man said. "And I don't even know your name. I'm really sorry Miss…"

"Ami. Ami Mizuno"

The man straightened himself back up, placing the books back on the shelf. He then turned back to Ami.

"Ryou. Ryou Bakura." He replied, sticking his hand out. Ami shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Ryou Bakura."

"Wait a second…. Ami Mizuno…. Where have I heard that name…?" He paused, sliding his hand from her grasp. "Oh! I know! You were the regional chess champion in Tokyo!"

Ami's blush returned after its brief absence. "Yes, that's me."

"Wow! This is amazing! I'm truly honored to meet you Miss Mizuno! I play a bit of chess myself. Of course, I'm not as good as you, but I'd love to be!"

"Just Ami is fine." Ami said. "Really? You play?" Ryou nodded in response. "Would you like to play a few games with me?" Ami asked. "I have some time before I need to meet up with my friends, and I brought my chess board with me, just in the off chance my friends wanted to play. I left it back at where we're staying at though."

"I'd love too!" Ryou replied. "Just let m-" He paused suddenly, feeling his knees buckle beneath him. A groan escaped his lips as a sudden pain shot through his head.

"Oh my god! Are you alright?" Ami asked, kneeling next to him. "Should I go get some help?"

"N-No, I'm fine… Just a… headache….. That's all. I just…. Need some fresh air…. I guess….. I'll have to… take a rain check on that game."

"Um, ok." Ami said, caring less about the game, and more about her new friend. "Fresh air is all you need? Let me help you outside then."

"No!" Ryou shouted, springing to his feet. "I'll be fine. I… I just… I need to go!"

Before Ami could think about responding, the boy had left, leaving her with her book, and a mind full of questions.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: *phew!* Man, that was a lot of typing. I think my fingers are dead from all of that. But I shall never stop writing! NEVER! * Ahem* Anyways, sorry for the delay. My computer decided to die on me. But, have no fear my wonderful readers, I shall not give up! This chapter kinda gave a little peek at some of the pairings I'll include. Feel free to voice your opinion! I'm always open for suggestions. And next chapter will be back to focusing on our dynamic duo, Yami and Usagi! I can't wait! On another note, I seriously need one more vote on my Mamoru poll! Mai and Anzu are tied at this point with 8 votes each, and I need one lucky reader to be the tie breaker. Pleeeeeeaaaaaase! **_

_**Keep on rocking with reviews guys! It really is what keeps me going with my writing : )**_

_**Tune into the next chapter for the next exciting duel! Yami and Usagi vs. Pandora, the Master of Magicians! You won't wanna miss this!**_


	9. 8: A Deadly Game

Chapter 8

A Deadly Game

Usagi found herself sitting upon a bench in the park, completely and utterly bored.

She sighed to herself, placing her head in her hand as she watched the duelists around her. Off to her left, she could see Jounouchi dueling some kid using a bug deck. But she didn't want to bother him and Mako again. She didn't have the faintest idea what had happened to Mina and the rest of the girls, and everyone else around her was locked within their own duels.

She sighed absent mindedly, trying to think of what to do.

"Bored?" Yami asked, taking a seat next to her.

Usagi nodded. "There's no one to duel."

Yami chuckled. "Come on, there's got to be _someone_." Usagi shrugged, motioning out towards the crowd. "Feel free to look. I've already tried."

Yami shrugged himself, leaning back against the bench. "Ok, you win." He said simply, not wanting to argue with her. "But that doesn't mean we have to sit around and mope about it, right?"

Usagi's head lifted from her palm, and a smile broke out on her face. "Yeah, you're right." She said, standing up. "Come on, let's g-" She paused suddenly, her eyes widened.

Yami gave her a puzzled look. "Usagi? What is it?" He asked, standing up.

Her head cocked to the side, her own face showing confusion. "Yugi… over there." She lifted her hand, pointing across the road. "Is that… Is that a clown?"

"What?" Yami asked, half laughing. "A clown? Usagi, are you feeling well?"

"No, seriously!" Usagi said, grabbing onto his shoulder. "Right over there!"

Yami's gaze followed her finger, and found the clown in question. This confused Yami even more. "Umm… Yes, I would say that is a clown… But what is he doing over there?"

The clown's eyes locked with Usagi's, making a beckoning motion with his hand. Usagi immediately shrank back from his gaze. If there was anything she hated the most in the world aside from English class and thunder storms, it was clowns.

"I think he wants us to follow him." Yami said, attempting to take a step forward. Usagi latched onto his arm. "Yugi, wait. This is a bad idea. A really bad idea. We have no idea who that guy is. He could be a serial killer for all when know!"

Yami smirked. _"If she thinks he's scary she'd be terrified to see the real me."_

_"You're not that scary." _ Yugi piped up from the back of Yami's mind. Yami almost burst out laughing then and there. _"Tell that to all the people I've driven insane because of my penalty games."_

_"But you don't do that anymore."_ Yugi corrected.

Yami sighed, leaving the argument at that. He looked down at Usagi, giving her a smile. "Don't worry about it Usagi. If anything bad happens, I'll be right there to stop it."

Now, to some people, that phrase wouldn't have been so reassuring. Usagi, on the other hand, found his words the most comforting thing in the universe. "A-Alright. Let's follow him then."

And they did. The mysterious clown led the two teens into a rather depressing circus tent, and through a magician's trick box. Throughout the whole ordeal, Usagi clung to Yami's arm like a life preserver. "I don't like this." She whispered. "Where do you think he's leading us, Yugi?"

"I don't know." Yami admitted. "Stay close to me, and don't say anything." Usagi gave him a puzzled look. "Um… why?" she asked. Yami smirked. "Merely as a precaution, little rabbit." Usagi shivered at that.

After following the clown down a long flight of dark stairs, the two duelists found themselves alone in a room with another set of stairs leading downward, and a computer resting on a table. Usagi let go of Yami's arm, and approached the computer.

Four small windows were open on the computer. The first window contained Yugi's picture, and dueling statistics. The other three showed Usagi's, Mako's, and Mina's. Usagi's eyes widened, and she quickly took a step back. "This is getting really freaky!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around herself.

Yami crossed the floor to look for himself. "Looks as though someone has been trying to keep an eye on us." He paused, looking over Usagi's stats. "You're rarest card is Warrior Lady of the Wasteland. You run a warrior deck?"

Usagi nodded in response. "Yes, but I don't see why this is so important! We need to get out of here!"

"I'm afraid that there is no way out." A voice came from the stairs, making Usagi jump in surprise. A man dressed in a red suit and a black and white mask came up the stairs, joining the two teens. "You're both trapped here."

Usagi's grip on Yami's arm returned, but Yami merely smirked in the presence of the man. "And who might you be?"

"I am Pandora." The man said. "The Master of Magicians."

Yami chuckled. "Master of Magicians, huh? You think so?"

Pandora's fists clenched and his lips pressed into a firm line. "I know so, _pharaoh_." He hissed. "And let us get one thing straight. Only one of us can truly possess the Dark Magician, and that is me. I obviously can't do that if the supposed King of Games possesses the very same card now, can I?" He lifted his hand, pointing at Yami. "I challenge you to a duel. If I win, I get your Dark Magician. If you win, you get mine. And, of course, the locator cards will be distributed accordingly."

Yami's smirk widened. "Sorry Pandora, but I'm not accepting. I won't duel someone who is too much of a coward to face me out in the open, and confront me by himself. We're leaving." He took a hold of Usagi's arm, and began to turn away.

"I'm afraid you can't do that, pharaoh. According to Battle City rules, all duelists must accept a challenge when confronted with one. To do otherwise… well, that would be breaking the rules, now wouldn't it?"

Yami's smirk slowly disappeared as he turned around once again. "Fine." He snapped. "But at least let her leave." He nodded towards Usagi.

Pandora shook his head. "I can't allow that. For all I know, she could go running to a tournament official, and have this duel shut down. Even if she doesn't intend to do so, I won't take any chances. She's welcome to watch though."

Yami grimaced, his gaze shifting back to Usagi. "I'm sorry." He whispered before turning back to Pandora. "Very well. You may have your little duel."

"Wonderful!" Pandora exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "Follow me then. I've prepared a very special dueling arena courtesy of my generous employer."

"Let me guess." Yami said, following Pandora down the stairs. "You're working for Malik aren't you."

Pandora's lips formed their own smirk. "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

As they continued their trek downward, Usagi never left Yami's side. "Yugi, I don't like this." She whispered. "I've got a really bad feeling about all of this."

"I do too." Yami admitted. "But I think we'll be ok. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

Those words weren't comforting to Usagi at all, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

Soon, their journey down the stairs came to an end, and Pandora led them into his underground dueling area. Usagi couldn't help but gasp in amazement. Someone had obviously taken a lot of time and effort to create it.

"Right this way, Pharaoh." Pandora said, leading Yami to the ring. From there, they shuffled and cut their decks, preparing for the duel.

Suddenly, just as Yami picked up his deck again, the small table they had carried out their card shuffling sank into the floor, and the floor beneath Yami's feet began to slide backwards. His eyes widened as the track led him to the edge of the ring, where his ankles were shackled in place by thick cuffs.

"Pandora, what is the meaning of this?" Yami barked.

The magician smirked. "I'm pleased you asked pharaoh. This game is more than just a card game. It's a game of survival. You see… if you lose this duel, you also lose your life." As he said that, two large saws appeared on either side of the ring. "The more life points you lose, the closer the saw will move to your body. Once your life points reach zero…. Well, you're a smart boy. I'm sure you can figure it out."

Usagi had to cover her mouth with both of her hands to keep herself from screaming in horror. She stumbled backwards, attempting to head back to the door. But it was too late. The door slammed shut before she could even regain her composure. "Not so fast, young lady." Pandora said. "You're not going anywhere."

"Pandora, this is sick!" Yami growled. "I won't agree to this!"

"I'm afraid you have no choice, Pharaoh… In fact…." He paused, pondering for a moment.

Through his mind, he could tell that his employer was watching, and was very pleased with what he saw. _"Please sir," _Pandora thought to him. He knew that he and his employer were currently linked telepathically through the powers of the Millennium Rod. This was how his employer spoke with all of his employees. _"Please, lend me some of your power. Lend me the same power you will use to bring me back my true love. I wish to give the Pharaoh more of a… **incentive **for dueling me."_

A smirk crossed his employer's lips, understanding what his servant was implying. _"I couldn't have given a better suggestion." _He replied. _"Very well. Do with her what you will. Whether she be a friend or foe to him, the Pharaoh **will **fall in line."_

Pandora nodded absentmindedly, and closed his eyes. He could feel the power being granted to him practically flowing within his veins. He then lifted his hand, pointing at Usagi. "Let's have our lovely friend here join the fun!"

Suddenly, Usagi felt a foreign presence force its way into her mind. Her limbs became heavy, and her body wasn't responding to any commands she gave it. She was practically frozen.

Then, her body began to move by itself. Within her mind, she watched in horror as her legs carried her closer to the field. Her body had become Pandora's puppet. She wanted to kick, scream, cry, anything to allow her to have _some_ control back over her body.

"Usagi stop!" Yami shouted, jerking his legs within their restraints in an attempt to free himself. "Pandora let her go! She's done nothing to be involved in this!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears. Usagi felt a tear slide down her cheek as Yami struggled to get free. If she had any control of her body, she would've transformed and freed Yami already. Unfortunately, that would've revealed her secret, and Luna would never let her hear the end of it if she did. Usagi immediately shot down the idea.

Soon, Usagi stood in the ring with Yami and Pandora. Two more ankle restraints appeared from the wall and latched themselves around her ankles. She was trapped.

The strange force then left her body, leaving Usagi to react to what had just happened. Her eyes widened, and her instincts kicked in, telling her to try and pull herself free. She yanked her feet forward, trying to slip out of the cuffs, but their grip had proved too strong for her. "Let us go!" She cried. "This is going way too far, and it breaks about a billion rules here!"

"Rules." Pandora snorted. "I could care less about the rules now. And if I were you, I'd keep quiet over there. You're not getting out of here until the two of you defeat me."

"Two on one? I think you just doomed yourself Pandora." Yami pointed out. The Magician merely smirked in response. "I have confidence in my abilities, Pharaoh. I would play a bit on the safe side if I were you, though. Your little friend is first to go if you screw up."

It was then that Usagi realized that she'd been shackled a few inches ahead of Yami. This meant that if Yami lost a big chunk of life points, _she'd_ be paying the price first. Her heart pounded in her chest, praying for a way to contact the girls!

She suddenly remembered something. The communicator Luna gave her after she'd met Ami. She could use it to get a hold of Ami, and the rest of the girls.

Usagi found herself almost in tears of happiness, and she wanted to smack herself for not thinking about it beforehand!

Reaching behind her back while Pandora explained the rules of the duel, Usagi fished the small pink wristwatch from the back pocket of her jean skirt. She pressed the on button located on the side, knowing it would automatically connect with Ami's.

She silently prayed to whatever force would listen to her that Ami would receive the message, and bring help soon.

* * *

><p>After her adventure in the book store, Ami found herself sitting at a table outside of a cafe, sipping away at a glass of iced tea while she read her new book. There was not much to the book that she didn't know already, but there were a few things that caught her eye from time to time.<p>

Her gaze lifted from the book occasionally, finding herself a bit distracted by everything going on around her. Aside from the duels, the very people of Domino City had proven to be quite interesting. Everyone was very friendly to one another, greeting total strangers with smiles and warm greetings. Ami found the atmosphere comforting, almost as if she didn't have to feel alone in this town.

Suddenly, a head of long raven hair caught her eye. As Ami turned, she saw Rei walking down the sidewalk.

"Hey, Rei!" She called from her table, standing up and waving her hand. "Over here!"

The Shrine Maiden's head whipped around, seeing who she'd been looking for all this time. "Ami!" She cried, jogging over to her friend. "Thank god! I thought I lost you! You have no idea what it's like to get lost in this town."

"I'm sorry, Rei." Ami replied. "I came across this book store, and I lost track of time."

A small smile crossed Rei's lips. "Why does that no surprise me? Why didn't I think to look there?"

"Um, Rei? If you wanted to find me so badly, why didn't you just use your communicator?"

Rei's eyes widened. "Um…." She paused, glancing down at her wrist. She completely forgotten about the wristwatch.

Ami giggled. "It's alright Rei. At least we found each other. Now we just need to find Usagi and the others."

Almost as if on cue, a small beeping noise emitted from Ami's wrist. She quickly lifted her wrist, seeing her communicator watch lighting up. She pressed the side of it, causing the watch to open. A small picture of Usagi appeared on the latch.

_"Pandora let us go. You can't keep us here!"_ Usagi's shrill voice spoke. Ami looked to Rei and began to walk away from the café to a place more private. "Usagi?" Ami spoke into the watch. "Usagi, is that you? Where are you?"

No answer was received, but the conversation continued.

_"On the contrary, young lady, I can." _A male voice spoke "_You see, you both have already accepted the terms. You have to duel. Besides, no one will be able to find you. This area is specifically designed to scramble the signals given off from your duel disks. Seto Kaiba's sensors won't be able to pick up on you."_

_"You can't do this! This is just wrong!"_ Usagi retorted. _"You're actually planning on killing us! Don't you see how sick this is?"_

_"Enough stalling!" _The same man snapped. _"Let's get this game over with!"_

The connection cut off at that. Ami's hands shook violently, her wide eyes fixed on Rei. "We need to find the other girls!" She gasped. "I can pick up Usagi's coordinates through my computer, but we need to find Mina and Mako _now_!"

Rei nodded. "Right. You try and contact Mina. I'll try Mako."

Ami nodded as well, and began her work.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Ok, so I'm probably going to have an angry mob attack me for that cliff hanger, but I thought it was completely necessary! It keeps everyone interested, and on their toes. Also, a slight change to the Scout's equipment here. Instead of the tiny computers, they have the wristwatches. (Like in the Manga and the live action series.) But anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and tune into the next one! :D_**

**_XOXOXOXOXOXO_**

**_ – Rowan Cousland_**


	10. 9: Justice and Mercy

Chapter 9

Justice and Mercy

Unlike Usagi, Makoto hadn't become bored when watching her friend duel. Jounouchi was very intriguing when it came to strategy, always mixing it up and doing something different. That was what separated him from other duelists. Jounouchi didn't just stick with one strategy and hope for the best. He had faith in both himself and his cards.

Mako had received her call from Ami just as Jounouchi defeated a duelist who ran a bug deck by the name of Insector Haga. He'd proven himself as a very unfaithful duelist; he'd slipped a parasite card into Jounouchi's deck with the help of a kid earlier today. **_(A.N: For those that haven't read the YGO manga or watched the Japanese version, Insector is Weevil.)_**

As the Insector kid laid on the ground, moping in his defeat, Mako had thrown her arms around Jounouchi's neck, congratulating him in his victory. Though she really wouldn't admit it, she'd started to lose faith in Jou half way through the duel. But he'd pulled through amazingly.

That was another thing that had made him different from the other duelists. He never gave up, even if he was one life point away from losing.

"Way to go, Jou! You did it!" Mako exclaimed, quickly releasing him.

Jou gave a small smile. "Was there ever any doubt?"

Mako laughed nervously, and glanced down at her now shuffling feet. He didn't seem to notice. "So, where to next?"

"You don't have to follow me around, you know." Jou pointed out. "I feel like I'm holding you back from getting your locator cards."

"Don't be silly!" Mako replied. "I prefer hanging around with you. It's better than wandering around town by myself anyway. Besides, I've already got four cards. Remember? Those kids from earlier."

"Oh yeah!" Jou exclaimed, remembering Mako's victories. "I almost forgot. There was that girl with the zombie deck, and that boy with the dragon deck. Oh, and there wa-"

"I remember Jou. I was there."

A wide grin formed on Mako's face as Jou's face flushed with embarrassment. But his embarrassment subsided, turning into a laugh.

A sudden beeping sound twisted Jou's smile into a frown. "What was that?" he asked.

Mako's face flushed, turning as white as a sheet. She knew exactly where it was coming from. "Oh…" she said, slipping her left hand behind her back. "It's just my cell phone." She reached into her pocket, pulling her phone from it, she then turned her back to Jou, flipping open her watch, and pretending to talk on the phone at the same time.

"Hello?" She asked into the watch.

_"Mako, its Ami!"_ The faint voice said. _"We've got a problem. Usagi's in trouble!"_

Mako groaned. _"Not again."_ She thought. In response to Ami, she replied with, "Alright. Where do you want to meet up?"

_"At the 'Jasmine Dragon'. That café in the town square. Rei's here with me and she's trying to get a hold of Mina. So don't worry about everyone else."_

"Alright." Mako sighed. "I'll be there in a few." With that said, she pocketed her phone, and snapped her watch shut. She then turned back to Jounouchi.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, everything is fine." Mako lied. "Ami wants me to meet up with her at the 'Jasmine Dragon' real quick. Is it ok if we split up for a little bit?"

Jounouchi smiled. "Sure, no problem! I've wanted to get some more duels under my belt anyways… Not that you were getting in the way or anything, of course you weren't!" he added quickly, wanting to avoid offending her. "It's just that, uh… splitting up should be good for us, you know?"

Mako gave a smile of her own. "Of course. I get it Jou. Now go on, you've got some asses to kick, and names to take."

"You got that right!" Jou exclaimed, raising a fist into the air. "I'll meet up with you later then. See ya, Mako!" he called as he walked away.

Mako sighed with relief. "Boy, am I glad that's over." She said quietly. She almost couldn't believe that Jou bought her lame story. As she began to exit the park and try to find the café Ami had mentioned, Mako felt a hint of regret. She hated that she had to lie to Jou. And yet, she couldn't explain why.

Something deep inside wished she could've told him the truth. But, knowing her luck, he wouldn't believe her anyway.

She sighed, twisting strands of her brunette ponytail between her fingers. _"Maybe he would believe me."_ She thought. _"He seems… different. Maybe if I told him…"_ She trailed off, seeing Ami and Rei sitting at a table in front of the café. _"Well, it's too late to turn back now. Time to save Usagi's clumsy butt…. Again."_

* * *

><p>Within a matter of seconds, Mina's life had crumbled.<p>

Well, not exactly crumbled. But in her mindset, it might as well have.

How was she supposed to know that Seto Kaiba had one of the most rarest and undefeatable monsters in his deck? How was anyone supposed to know how to defeat a God, when they'd never even heard of the card?!

Nevertheless, Kaiba had shown Mina no mercy. In just three turns, through magic cards and special effects, Kaiba had summoned all three of the Blue Eyes White Dragons he kept in his deck, sacrificed them, and had summoned the most powerful monster in the entire game.

Obelisk the Tormentor.

Mina didn't stand a chance. And as her life points dropped down to zero, she dropped to her knees in sheer awe. "I… I don't believe it." She whispered. "That… that power…. That monster…. It was so amazing!"

Kaiba's smirk never faltered. "I'm impressed. I expected you to start crying by now. Most of my opponents tend to do that upon their embarrassing defeat."

"That wasn't embarrassing." Mina said, bringing herself to her feet. "That was actually…. Kinda….. Fun!"

Kaiba frowned, staring at the girl as if she was utterly insane. "I just _crushed you_ with one of the most powerful cards in the game, and you found it _fun_?!"

"Well, yeah!" Mina replied. "I mean, yeah, it sucks that I lost. But every defeat makes me stronger, and I learn something new with each duel. That's all I really care about."

_"Oh god, she's worse than Yugi and his pathetic friends!"_ Kaiba complained internally.

As Kaiba was lost within his thoughts, Mina's hand found its way into her breast pocket, attempting to find her locator cards. She found one, grinning triumphantly as she pulled it out and handed it to Kaiba. "Here, you won it, fair and square."

Kaiba waved the card away, turning back to his briefcase full of cards. "Keep it. I don't need it anyway."

"What?!" Mina exclaimed. "If you don't need it then why the hell were you wasting your time dueling me?"

"Believe me, my time here wasn't wasted. I needed someone to be a guinea pig for my God card. Luckily for me, a certain blonde guinea pig just happened to cross paths with me."

Mina's jaw dropped once again. "Excuse me?! Now you listen here buster, I may be many things. But Minako Aino is nobody's guinea pig!"

Kaiba's smirk returned, disregarding what the blonde girl said. From there, he began to walk away with his brother in tow. "Oh, and Mina?" He said over his shoulder. Mina's smile returned, hoping for some form of an apology from him.

"You might want to reconsider that deck of yours. It's pathetic, if you ask me."

Mina's face turned red from embarrassment and anger. Her hands clenched into fists, and her anger boiled within her veins. "Yeah… well…. WHO ASKED YOU ANYWAY?!" She screamed down the alleyway, not fully realizing she was alone again.

To blow off the remainder of her anger, she kicked at a trash can. "JERK!" she growled. Her anger was then replaced with agony as a sharp pain coursed its way up her leg. She clung to her foot, hopping around the alleyway, repeatedly mumbling "ouch" and a storm of cuss words. She almost didn't notice that her watch was beeping.

Almost.

In her anger, Mina snapped the watch open, and shouted, "What?!"

"_Mina? Are you ok?"_ Came Rei's voice. Mina felt an instant pang of regret. "Oh my god! Rei I am so sorry! I was just all frustrated with this guy and-"

_"Mina, we don't have time for this! Usagi's in trouble!"_

"What?! What happened?!" Mina asked.

_"We'll explain later. Meet us at the 'Jasmine Dragon' ok?"_

Mina nodded. "I'm on it. I'll meet you guys there!"

* * *

><p>With that said, the scout of love was on her way. In no time, she'd found the café and was reunited with the girls. Ami explained to them how she'd received her distress call from Usagi, and her plan to track down and save their friend.<p>

"According to the computer," Ami said, picking up the small blue computer Luna had given her. "The signal from Usagi's watch is coming from underground."

"That's weird." Mako commented.

"Why on earth would she be underground?" Mina added. "That's a strange place to hold a duel."

"Wait, didn't that guy in Usagi's message say that he didn't want Kaiba's sensors picking up on her, or something?" Rei asked.

"That's right!" Ami remembered. "Maybe… Maybe Usagi really wasn't kidding when she said that he was trying to kill them…. To be honest, I really wasn't sure if she was exaggerating or not…"

"Wait a second." Mako interrupted. "You said _'them'_. Who else is with her?"

Each of the girls paused, trying to remember who the blonde had gone off with.

Then, it hit them. "Yugi!" They cried simultaneously.

"We need to find them." Ami said, looking around them. There were too many people around for them to transform now. To her right was the alleyway where she received Usagi's call. "Follow me." She said to the other girls.

The scouts did so, digging through their pockets to find their pens. Once this was achieved, all four of them raised their pens into the air and called out their transformation phrases.

"Mercury Power-"

"Mars Power-"

"Venus Power-"

"Jupiter Power-"

Together, as their pens began to glow, they cried, "MAKE UP!"

Within a matter of seconds, the transformation of the scouts were complete, including the addition of the masks, which Mina and Mako remembered that Rei and Ami hadn't experienced yet.

Rei's fingers crossed her mask, confused. "Huh? What the-" She was cut off, seeing that everyone else wore a mask coordinating to the colors of their uniforms. Mercury's was a light blue, and Mars' was a dark red.

"Do you think Luna and Artemis did something to our uniforms?" Rei asked.

"It's probably just to keep our identities secret." Ami replied. "We have no idea what we're up against in this town, so this is probably for precaution."

"Makes sense to me." Mina added.

And with those words, the scouts fled from the alleyway, following Ami's lead, and leaving the gasps of people shouting things like, "It's the Sailor Scouts!" behind them.

**_((A/N: By the way, a gold star for whoever can guess where the "Jasmine Dragon" reference is from! :D))_**

* * *

><p>As the duel between Usagi, Yami and Pandora continued, more and more of Pandora's past and his motives behind the duel were revealed. It was revealed that he once was truly a magician, and had fallen in love with his assistant. They were madly in love with each other, and had planned on getting married. But an accident at one of Pandora's shows had practically destroyed his face, and he had to undergo multiple surgeries in order for his face to be somewhat restored. In a fit of anger towards himself, and his frustration, he'd driven away his love.<p>

Now, Malik was giving him a second chance. If he defeated Yugi, Malik would offer Pandora the help he needed to regain his love.

Usagi felt a sense of pity towards Pandora, and found his story quite romantic. She understood now why he was so determined to finish this duel, and win.

But, that didn't change the fact that Usagi wanted to cry when Pandora's Dark Magician destroyed yet another one of her monsters. The saw threatening to take her life was only a few life points away from fulfilling its threat.

When her turn came, she wanted to give up then and there. That was here fifth failed attempt at protecting herself in this duel. All throughout the game, she'd been making amateur mistakes, and they had cost her greatly. On one turn, she accidentally placed a card in attack mode that she'd meant to put in defense mode. On another turn, she'd placed too high of a card on the field without sacrificing another monster, causing her to forfeit her turn. On her previous turn, she'd taken too long in making her decision on what to do. This had also forfeited her turn.

They were right about her. Naru, Luna, and all of the girls. They were right to say all those things about her.

She really was a lousy duelist.

And now she'd endangered both herself and Yami because she was too stupid to admit it.

To end her turn, she played the card Dian Keto the Cure Master to raise her life points by 1,000. This sent the saw back a little bit, but it was all she could do.

"Yugi… I'm sorry." Usagi whispered.

"Why are you apologizing?" Yami asked, trying to keep Usagi's mind off of the saw slowly making its way towards her. "It was my fault. I should've listened to you."

"No… I mean… I haven't been honest with you…."

"Will you hurry it up?!" Pandora snapped. "I have a duel to win here."

"You can wait." Yami retorted. "You forget that it's my turn, Pandora. So back off!" His gaze softened and returned to Usagi. "Go on, you were saying."

"Right… As I was saying, Yugi… The truth is I'm not really that great of a duelist. I had a friend enter fake records for me into the database so I could enter the tournament…. I was in way over my head, and I've put the two of us in danger because of it…. I… I'm sorry."

Usagi expected him to be angry with her. She expected to hear yelling, and name calling. She expected him to call her an idiot, and threaten to never speak to her again.

Instead, a small smile played on Yami's lips. "Usagi…" He sighed, shaking his head. "This wasn't your fault, so stop feeling like it is. And another thing, I understand why you lied. It's hard to admit you're not good at something. But that doesn't mean you'll be bad at it forever. Every defeat you face will only bring you closer to victory. You just need to keep fighting until you do reach that victory."

His words touched Usagi's heart, almost making her want to cry. "You're right." She said, scrubbing away a tear that had escaped her eye. "I won't give up. I'll keep fighting."

"Oh for the love of Christ!" Pandora shouted. "I've heard enough of this! Your stalling has forfeit your turn, Pharaoh. You know what that means."

Yami's eyes widened. "No! Pandora, don't!"

The magician's smirk only grew. "It's too late Pharaoh. Say goodbye to your lovely friend. Dark Magician, attack her directly and be rid of her!"

"Usagi, no!" Yami screamed, wanting to jump to her rescue.

Within seconds, the attack had been carried out, and Usagi's life points spiraled to nothing. She closed her eyes and held her breath, waiting for that saw to tear through her and end her life. Another tear found its way down her face, and she whispered, "I'm sorry everyone."

Suddenly, the sound of thunder filled the arena, and a shock of lightning trailed across the floor, striking the saw. The saw's mechanisms that kept it moving short circuited, forcing the blade to a screeching halt just a centimeter away from Usagi's leg. She released the breath she'd been holding, and began to look around for her savior. Part of her had wondered if Tuxedo Mask had come to her rescue once again.

"Stop right there!" a chorus of female voices called out. Usagi's heart leapt in her chest, realizing who had come.

"How dare you interrupt my duel! Who do you think you are?!" Pandora spat.

"You're duel was about to cost two innocent lives!" Mars retorted.

"We couldn't stand by and watch you hurt these people." Jupiter added.

"Not to mention, it's just plain rude!" cried Venus.

"Who are you, exactly?" Pandora repeated.

"We're the Sailor Scouts!" Mercury replied. "Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus. And in the name of our guardian planets and the all powerful Moon…"

The girls raised their hands, pointing at Pandora. In unison, they cried. "We'll punish you!"

Pandora chuckled darkly. "Sailor Scouts, huh? I've heard quite a lot about you. Though, it appears you're missing someone."

"She'll arrive shortly." Mars replied.

"Yeah, to kick your sorry ass." Jupiter added.

"Well, if you think you'll defeat me you've got another thing coming. Neither of these two leave until this duel is over!"

"Well, that's just too bad." Mercury said, stepping forward. She crossed her arms over she chest, and took in a sharp breath. A cool breeze filled the air as she brought her hands up above her head, and called upon her power.

Suddenly, a thick fog filled the room, making it difficult for anyone to see. Pandora began to panic, calling out phrases like, "Where are you?!" and "Come out and face me you cowards!"

Using the fog as her cover, Sailor Mars made her way over to Usagi, and melted her out of the ankle restraints with her fire. Once she was free, Usagi threw her arms around Rei's neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She whispered.

"Hurry up and transform!" Rei hissed, pushing Usagi off of her. "I'll try and free Yugi. You take care of that Magician creep."

Usagi nodded, grabbing her brooch from the inside of her jacket, and raising it above her head. She then spoke quietly, saying, "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

A bright pink light flashed, and the fog cleared, revealing Sailor Moon, donning her regular sailor uniform and a white mask with golden spiral designs and small white beads decorating it.

Pandora coughed, clearing out the smoke like fog from his lungs. "W-what? What happened? Where did the girl go?"

"We took her away from here." Sailor Moon spoke in a voice that was calm and serene, and yet her words always drew attention. "She's safe. And now, Pandora, you will pay for the pain you've cause these two innocent souls. In case you couldn't gather, I'm Sailor Moon. And in the name of my guardian planet, the all powerful moon, you will face justice." She stepped back down into the ring, and faced the frightened magician.

Meanwhile, Sailor Mars worked her fire to free Yami from his restraints. Once free, he fell to his knees due to the lack of circulation in his legs. Sailor Jupiter jumped down into the ring to help him up. "You alright?" She asked.

Yami nodded, slowly rising to his feet. "Usagi… Is she safe? Where is she?"

A small smile crossed Jupiter's lips. "She's fine. She's just outside the tent. What about you? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Yami replied, breaking from Jupiter's light grasp. His gaze lingered on her, though. That smile, and her face all together, held a sense of familiarity in his heart. He just couldn't place it. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. His gaze then fell on Sailor Moon.

The moment he did, he felt a strange feeling of longing and pain within his heart. Something about her brought back the dream he'd had only a few days ago. Could she have been the girl in his dream?

Pandora was practically cowering under the gaze of the soldier. Those soft blue eyes held a gaze that struck his very core. "W-What are you g-going to do to me?" He asked through his shaking voice.

Sailor Moon took a step back, taking her tiara from her head. As she held the gold object between her fingers, it began to glow. Her gaze darted to his legs, then back to the tiara.

Pandora shut his eyes, expecting to suffer the fate he'd attempted to bestow on the Pharaoh and his friend. He couldn't blame the Scout for wanting him to suffer this way. It was no less than he deserved.

With a flick of her wrist, Sailor Moon's tiara went flying. It spun in an arch, its edges becoming razor sharp and aiming for Pandora's ankles.

**_((A/N: Just thought I'd say, I seriously considered ending the chapter here. But I thought that'd be too mean on my part…..))_**

The tiara sliced through its target, but not the one everyone was expecting.

Pandora's eyes opened just as the soldier caught her tiara once again. His gaze shot down to his legs, seeing that they were still intact. The thing that wasn't, was the restraints holding his ankles against the wall. The tiara had broken them, and freed him. He looked up at Sailor Moon, completely bewildered. "But… why? Why would you spare me?" he asked.

Sailor Moon smiled. "Because you weren't really evil like you thought, Pandora. You were just a troubled soul who went down the wrong path. Everyone deserves a second chance. Especially you."

"But… how did you know?"

"Call it intuition." Sailor Moon replied. "You don't need to follow the path of darkness to win back your love. All it really takes is an apology and to admit to her that you were wrong. Remind her that you love her, and always will."

Realization crossed Pandora's face, finally seeing that she was right. He didn't need Malik, or his so called powers! Not anymore. "Thank you, Sailor Moon. You… You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I think I can gather it." She replied, turning back to the rest of the girls.

"So, you can say mushy stuff like that about love, and yet can't get a boyfriend of your own?" Mars teased.

"Shut up Mars!" Sailor Moon shouted, her voice losing its composure. "I could get a boyfriend if I wanted!"

"Uh-huh sure." Mars said with a roll of her eyes.

A smile crossed Pandora's lips upon seeing the girls' arguments. He found it funny that these five "Sailor Soldiers" were fighting like a bunch of schoolgirls.

Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded in his mind. He cried out, his hands shooting to his head. _"Pandora you weak, pathetic fool!" _A voice spat within his mind. He knew it was the voice of Malik. _"You failed me, **and **planned on defying me! You'll never see that bitch of yours again!"_

"I'm… not…. Afraid of you…" Pandora spoke through clenched teeth, fighting back against the pain. The scouts all turned to him, running towards him to help.

_"Is that so? Well, it looks as though I'll have to remedy that. Say goodbye to your soul, Pandora."_

"No! You can't do this to me… no!" Pandora was cut off by a scream of agony that escaped his lips. The scouts took a step back, gasping as the faint golden outline of an eye appeared on his forehead.

"Well Pharaoh, it looks as though once again you and your little friends have bested me. But don't think this is over." Pandora spoke in a voice not his own. "No, far from it."

"Let me guess." Yami said. "You're Malik again."

"You catch on quick. And I must say it was quite foolish of you to involve your little girlfriend. You've only added another name to my list of targets."

Yami's fists clenched. "You leave her out of this Malik. It's obvious that I'm your target. Face me, and leave my friends alone!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Pharaoh. For, you see, the way to really get to a man is through his heart. And because you're so close to your _friends_, it seems as though that is where I have to strike. But no yet of course. I will save that for another time. For now, know this. I want revenge, and I will get what I want."

Malik left the body of Pandora, taking his soul with him. The magician then collapsed to the floor.

In his anger, Yami retreated back into his soul room to blow off some steam. This gave Yugi back his control.

"Yugi!" a female voice cried. Yugi spun around on his heel, seeing that Anzu, Jounouchi, Honda, and his grandfather had found him. "Guys! You found me!"

"And just in time too!" Anzu added. "We were worried sick about you!"

"Well, you really didn't have to be. I was in good hands. But thank you anyway."

"Um… whose hands exactly, Yuug?" Jou asked.

"Why, the Sailor Scouts of course!" Yugi said, gesturing behind him.

"Um… Yugi? I hate to break it to you, but there's no one there." Honda pointed out.

Yugi spun around again, seeing that the girls had left. "Huh… They must've left then." He then strode back over to Pandora, seeing that his locator cards had fallen out of his pocket. "Well, it looks like he won't be needing these anymore." Yugi said solemnly. He took the two cards, one for him and one for Usagi, and pocketed them.

"You ok, Yugi?" Anzu asked, standing beside him.

"Yeah." Yugi replied. "I just…. I kind of wish he'd won the duel… He didn't deserve to lose his soul."

Anzu placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Yugi. You did the best you could. That's all that matters."

Yugi nodded, turning away from Pandora. "Come on, let's get out of here. I need to find Usagi and give her the card she earned." He then paused, noticing something in the button hole of Anzu's jacket. "Hey, Anzu?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Where did you get that rose?"

Anzu glanced down at her jacket, smiling at the bright red flower. "Oh, nowhere important." She said dreamily. Yugi noticed it, but spoke nothing of it.

From there, the friends exited the arena together, leaving the nightmare of a duel that had just taken place behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: and once again, I've been up past midnight for the past week trying to get this done. BUT I REGRET NOTHING! *Ahem* Anyways, I forgot to mention last chapter that the Mamoru pairing poll is officially closed, and the lucky winning pairing is… *drum roll* Anzu/Mamoru! *claps* I'd like to thank everyone that voted, and for those of you that voted for Mamoru/Mai, have no fear! I have a special surprise side project in mind for you guys :D but anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As a side note, I felt kinda bad for having Pandora's soul taken in this chapter. I originally considered having him live. In reality, I did feel bad for the guy. He'd lost everything, and Malik promised him to give everything back, but he was cheated in the end. But I digress. **

**Side Note: I've been working overtime on this fic, so expect to see another chapter up this weekend. If not, well... I blame the internet.  
><strong>

**Also, anybody else find this chapter title totally fitting?**

**Keep up the reviews, and keep on reading! (Please and Thank You!)**

**Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

**-Rowan Cousland**


	11. 10: Revelation

Chapter 10

Revelation

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Two updates in one weekend? Inconceivable! *Ahem* anyways, theres not much to say for the begging of this chapter, other than man i am on fire! :D Enjoy the chapter folks!_**

* * *

><p>Usagi panted as she and the rest of the girls ran up another set of stairs Pandora had hidden in case he'd needed a quick escape. She knew Yugi and the others would try to look for her now, and she had to beat them outside in order to avoid suspicion.<p>

Once they were above ground, and out in the bright sun, the girls had transformed back into their normal selves.

Usagi collapsed onto a nearby bench, her chest heaving. "Thank god that's over!" she said, releasing a heavy sigh.

"That was a close one." Mako added. "If we hadn't gotten out of there, Yugi and the gang would've known something was up."

"I do feel bad for that Pandora guy though." Mina said solemnly. "From what Usagi said, all he wanted was to be reunited with his love… It's really sad…"

"You _would_ say that, Mina." Rei sighed, blowing a lock of her bangs out of her eyes. "So, what do we do now?"

"You guys should go." Usagi said. "That way we don't raise any suspicion, you know?"

"Usagi's right." Ami agreed. "We should head back to the 'Jasmine Dragon', and then later we can meet up with everyone else we were with earlier."

The girls nodded agreeing, and left Usagi sitting on that bench. As she sat there, she pondered on what to tell Yugi.

Almost as if on cue, the short duelist appeared from the tent holding two plastic cards tightly in his hand.

"Usagi!" He called. Usagi quickly got to her feet, running to her friend. "Yugi! You're ok!" She cried, embracing him in a tight hug, and lifting him off his feet. He let out a strangled gasp, indicating he was running out of air. Usagi dropped him back to his feet, turning a shade of red. "Sorry, Yugi. I was just really worried!"

"I was worried about you too. You totally missed it though! Sailor Moon showed up! Did you get to see her? She was the one that brought you out here, so of course you had to have seen her!"

"Actually, I didn't." Usagi said quickly. "I, uh, kinda fainted when that weird fog rolled in."

Yugi frowned. "Oh, that's too bad. She was amazing! Like something out of a manga!"

Usagi smiled, listening to Yugi ramble on about how amazing the Sailor Scouts were, and how he wished they'd stuck around to meet the rest of the gang.

Speaking of the gang, just as Yugi concluded his story, Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu, and Sugoroku appeared from the tent, looking as though they were out of breath.

"Y-Yuug!" Jou panted. "Wai-Wait up…. Slow down…. Nyeh." He collapsed on the ground, his own chest heaving. Yugi blushed. "Sorry guys… I just got so excited! I kind of forgot you were there…"

"No problem, Yugi." Anzu replied with a smile, approaching the bench. "Good to see you're ok Usagi. Yugi told us how you were in that crazy duel with him. It must've been horrible."

Usagi nodded in response. "Thanks Anzu." Her gaze suddenly fell upon the rose standing out on Anzu's jacket. Usagi nearly gasped. She'd know that rose anywhere!

It was almost exactly like the rose Tuxedo Mask had thrown to her the night they first met. It was his way of showing that he would always be there to protect her when she needed it. She wondered how Anzu had gotten one as well.

Then again, it did occur to Usagi that it could've been any old rose. But something in her gut told her that it _was_ Tuxedo Mask's rose.

"That's really pretty, Anzu." Usagi said finally. "Did your boyfriend give that to you?"

"Boyfriend!?" Anzu and Yugi cried in unison. Anzu's face turned red, almost as red as the rose itself. "Don't be silly Usagi! You know I don't have a boyfriend! I told you that yesterday, remember?"

Usagi giggled at her friend. "I know, I was just teasing!" Yugi seemed to release a sigh of relief. "If you don't mind me asking," Usagi added to her previous statement. "Where did you get it anyway?"

Anzu smiled in response. "A friend…" she said, her gaze suddenly becoming distant and dreamlike. "A very brave and wonderful friend."

* * *

><p><strong>*The Previous Night*<strong>

After the group had split off from the arcade, Anzu had found herself walking home alone. She'd thought to herself _"It won't be that bad. What's the worst that could happen?"_

Of course, those are words you never want to say in seemingly harmless situations. As she passed by one of the local bars, her gaze locked with a man crouching by the entrance with a bottle in his hand. His gaze held a glimmer of rage, making Anzu uncomfortable. She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket, grabbing hold of her pocket knife just in case. You can never be too careful.

Little did she know, the man had begun to follow her. He was sober enough to know that his thoughts toward her were wrong, yet he was drunk enough not to give a damn.

It had taken another two blocks for Anzu to look over her shoulder and notice her new stalker. By the time she had, it was almost too late.

The man reached out, roughly grabbing onto her shoulder. "Give me your money, now!" He growled in her ear, his breath reeking of whiskey. Anzu flicked open the knife in her pocket and shoved the man back with her shoulder. "Get away from me!" she said loudly, hoping to gain someone's attention. She spun around, facing her attacker.

The man lunged out at her, grabbing onto her arm and twisting it behind her back. Anzu cried out in pain, nearly dropping the knife out of her pocket. But she regained the upper hand with her free arm. She sank the knife deep into the drunk's leg.

The man cried out in pain, reaching for the embedded knife. By doing so, he'd released Anzu a second time.

"Help! Somebody help me!" Anzu screamed, starting to run away. The man had regained the upper hand by grabbing onto Anzu's hair before she could run, and yanking her back. She cried out in pain, tears forming at her eyes as she prepared to scream again. The drunk pulled the knife from his leg, ignoring the fact that he was losing blood and that his leg was now going numb, and held it to her throat. "You say another word, and your blood will be decorating the sidewalk. You understand me?" He growled.

A tear slid down Anzu's cheek as she gave a slight nod to respond to his question. He smirked. "Good. Good." He drawled. "Now, be a good little girl and give me all of the money in that little handbag of yours."

Anzu's hand shook as she reached for her little black purse and began to pull out what little cash she'd had left. Suddenly, a flash of green caught her eye, slicing into the man's hand. The drunk hissed in pain again, dropping the knife.

Anzu slammed her foot down onto her attacker's, and sank her elbow into his side forcing him to let go of her and fall to the ground. Anzu picked up her pocket knife again, glancing over at the weapon that had saved her.

A bright red rose covered in thorns was embedded in a crack in the sidewalk, dripping with her attacker's blood. Anzu found this odd, and then glanced around to see who had thrown it.

**_((A/N: This'll most likely be the last time you ever see Tuxedo Mask throw another rose. I found this attack a little lame, but decided to add it in to this one encounter because it's his trademark.))_**

Standing on top of the street light nearest to them was a man in a black tuxedo, cape, and top hat, and wearing a white mask. He held a staff in his left hand, tight against his chest. His cape fluttered in the soft breeze, and the moonlight shone down on him like a spotlight.

The drunk regained his footing and caught sight of the caped crusader. "What the-? Who the hell are you!" He snapped.

"Those that waste away their days wallowing in whiskey, then prey on innocent maidens to feed their addiction, cannot go unpunished in my eyes. I am a defender of justice and the hearts of innocent young ladies." He jumped down from the lamp post, landing on his feet with ease. It was almost like he'd done it a million times before. "I am Tuxedo Mask, and I will not let you hurt this girl a moment longer."

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" The man growled, lunging at the hero.

"Watch out!" Anzu cried, pushing Tuxedo Mask out of the line of fire. The drunk skidded across the sidewalk, obviously missing both the caped crusader, and the girl.

Tuxedo Mask got back to his feet, taking his staff in both hands. The drunk lunged at him again, attempting to break past the staff and grab onto the hero's throat. His hands were smacked away by the staff, and then tripped over his sudden, lack-of-blood-induced, clumsiness. The man fell to the ground again, a sharp puff of air escaping his lungs. He rolled over onto his back, and immediately sat up again. He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! I give up! Just, please, let me get to a hospital, or something! I… I can't take this anymore…. I …. I…" He toppled over to his back once again, passing out from the loss of blood.

Tuxedo mask dusted off his gloved hands and turned his attention back to Anzu, now lying on the ground from her succeeded attempt to save his life. He held his hand out to her, helping her back to her feet. "Are you alright?"

Anzu nodded. "Yeah… Thank you." She said. "You… you saved my life. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up."

Tuxedo Mask smiled, his deep blue eyes sparkling beneath his mask. "If anything, I should be thanking you. You stuck your neck out for me, when I was trying to be the hero. _That_ was truly brave."

"Not as brave as you were." Anzu countered. "Nobody sticks up for anybody in this town. The only people who do are my friends, and even then…" She paused biting her lip. "Well, anyways, thank you…. Again." She turned her back to him, beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" He said, lightly tapping her shoulder. "Here, take this."

Anzu spun around, seeing that he was holding a bright, thornless rose between his fingers. "A- A Rose?" Anzu asked.

He smiled. "Consider it a promise. This is my way of saying that I'll always be there if ever you need me. It's a way of saying that we'll meet again, and maybe it'll be a time where your life _isn't _at risk."

Anzu gave a small laugh, taking the flower from him. "Thank you." She whispered, her gaze falling onto the flower, wondering what she was going to do with it. "Oh, hey, I wanted to ask y-"

Her gaze shot up, and she immediately stopped talking. She was talking to an empty space.

He was gone.

Anzu glanced back at the flower and smiled. She knew in her heart that she would see him again. Someday.

* * *

><p>"Anzu?... Hello? Anzu?... Anzu!"<p>

Yugi's voice pulled Anzu from her daydream, causing her to shake her head. "Huh? What? Oh, Yugi! I'm sorry, I kind of spaced out there… What were you saying?"

"I was saying that Usagi and I still have some dueling to do, and was asking if you would mind if we split off from here."

Anzu smiled and shook her head in response. "Of course not. Go right ahead."

"Thanks!" Yugi said, taking a hold of Usagi's arm. "Come on, let's go!"

Usagi followed behind him, her mind still trying to wrap around what had happened just moments ago. She broke free from his grasp, stopping once they'd reached a crosswalk. "Yugi, wait."

Yugi looked over his shoulder before turning around to face her, obviously concerned. "What's wrong Usagi?"

"Before I go anywhere else with you, I want you to tell me something." Usagi said, crossing her arms. "First off, why do people keep calling you a 'pharaoh'? I know you're the King of Games and all because of Duelist Kingdom, but this is obviously different. Second of all, why are all of these people trying to kill you?"

Yugi frowned, his gaze falling to his feet. "I… I, uh, can't really answer those questions. But there is someone who can."

A soft golden glow emanated from Yugi's puzzle, and the gamer closed his eyes. After a brief second, he opened his eyes again, revealing that they were no longer that dark violet, but blood red. His posture seemed to change, making him seem taller, and strands of his hair seemed to spike up, finally completing the transformation.

"Y-Yugi?" Usagi asked, finally noticing the difference between the Yugi she'd come to know, and the man standing before her.

He smiled at her, dropping the puzzle back against his chest. "No… I'm not really Yugi. I'm merely sharing his body."

Usagi immediately grew confused. "Wait…. What? What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps we should carry out this conversation somewhere else." Yami said, taking her hand. "There's a diner nearby that has the best milkshakes in town. We can go there, order something to eat, and talk. Would you like that?"

As we all know, Usagi was never one to turn down food. But that wasn't the reason she'd accepted his offer. (Ok, maybe it was partially the reason.) But she'd accepted his offer because she wanted answers, and she wanted them now.

When they'd finally reached the diner and had their orders taken, Yami began to tell his story.

"Since you seem to be the only one who can tell the difference between Yugi and me, you can just call me Yami."

"Yami? As in darkness?" Usagi asked.

Yami smirked, glancing out the window. "At one point in time, yes." He then shook his head, his eyes shifting back to Usagi. "But that's a story for another time. Let me start from, what I think is, the beginning."

At this point in time, their milkshakes had been served. Usagi took a sip of hers, and then turned her attention back to Yami.

He then told her how he'd gone to the museum about a week ago with Anzu, and a woman had told him that he'd once been a great and powerful pharaoh who'd saved the world from annihilation. But as to how he'd needed up inside the Millennium Puzzle, and in Yugi's body, still remained a mystery to him. All he truly knew was that he was supposed to save the world again from some form of darkness that was entering the tournament.

When he'd mentioned the darkness, Usagi nearly spit up her milkshake. It reminded her of why she and the girls were sent to Domino in the first place.

Maybe it was the same darkness. Maybe she and the scouts were supposed to help him defeat this darkness… Maybe he was supposed to know about her secret identity.

"Yami…" She said, still contemplating whether to tell him or not. "There's something I need to say.

Yami looked at her, confused. "What is it?"

"I…. uh…." She paused, a head of red hair catching her eye. "Naru?" She immediately stood up, stepping out the door. "Hey, Naru!"

The girl spun around on her heel, catching sight of her best friend. "Usagi!" she cried, jogging over to her friend.

"What are you doing here?!" Usagi asked, embracing her friend in a tight hug.

"I decided to enter the tournament! What are you doing here?"

"The same thing you are!"

Naru giggled. "No, seriously. What are you doing here?"

Usagi frowned in response. "I'm serious! I've already got two locator cards and everything!"

"Only two?" Naru reached into her pocket and pulled out her cards. "I've already got four."

Usagi's jaw dropped. "No way! How has everyone earned so many cards already!?"

"I've just been dueling nonstop for the past hour. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised you even made it to two."

"Naru! You're so mean!" Usagi exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, it's just… you're not always the best at this game, you know? And I didn't think you were serious about entering."

"You don't have any faith in me." Usagi pouted, throwing her hands to her hips. "Fine then! I'll prove to you that I can be a great duelist! I challenge you to a duel. And to make things interesting, let's make this an all-or-nothing duel! Winner gets the locator cards she needs to move on to the semi-finals!"

"You can't be serious, Usagi!" Naru shouted. "This is crazy and you know it! As your friend, I'm trying to help you here!"

"I know Naru… But I want to show you that I can be good at this game. Just because I'm bad at it now, doesn't mean I'll be bad at it forever."

Naru sighed, seeing that her friend wasn't going to give up. "Alright fine. I accept your challenge."

"Yay! Thank you so much, Naru! You won't be disappointed, trust me!"

With that said, the two girls stood in the road preparing themselves for the duel that would determine their place within the tournament.

Off on the sidelines, Yami stood in the doorway of the diner, smiling to himself.

_"Do you think she can win, Yami?" _ Yugi asked within his mind.

_"I believe so. She has confidence, and she's determined to get better. That being said, if she doesn't win, she'll at least learn something new about herself and her cards."_

_"I'm pretty sure she will even if she does win." _ Yugi added.

_"Of that I have no doubt, Yugi." _ Yami replied. _"Of that I have no doubt."_

* * *

><p>The duel carried on longer than anyone expected it to. About ten turns into the duel, Usagi had only lost a few life points. This had impressed both Usagi and Naru. Her warriors were holding up almost effortlessly against Naru's water creatures.<p>

Since the game didn't look to have an ending anytime soon, Yami went back into the diner to pay for the milkshakes, and decided to take a walk.

_"Aren't you going to stay and watch?" _ Yugi asked.

_"No." _ Yami replied simply. _"I want to see how she does without me there. I want her to realize that she doesn't need my lectures to prove she's a great duelist. She's grown pretty reliant of those speeches of ours."_

_"Ok…" _ Yugi said, guessing that it made as good of sense as any.

Their walk had led them to the town's reservoir. Here Yami stared at his reflection, deep in thought. _"Yugi… do you think that it wasn't an accident that we met Usagi and her friends?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I mean…. This might sound stupid to you, but….. I feel like we were **supposed** to meet them. I feel like that, in a sense, fate brought us all together. I feel like that, for some reason, Usagi and her friends can be as much of a help against this Malik guy, and this impending darkness, as the rest of our friends."_

_"I understand what you mean." _Yugi agreed. _"I kinda feel the same way. I feel as though something else brought us all together… Kind of funny if you think about it."_

Yami smiled at this. _"Kind of…. I worry about everyone else though. Malik obviously had something planned, and I don't like it one bit. I worry about Usagi and the others being involved."_

_"Are you sure it's not just Usagi you're worried about?"_ Yugi asked smugly.

_"W-what?! What one earth are you talking about?!"_

_"Well, it's just that you two have been spending the whole day together, and you've gotten pretty close. Plus you were scared as hell for her during the duel with Pandora. I was just thinking tha-"_

_"There's nothing going on," _Yami insisted. _"We're just friends, Yugi! How could you even think otherwise!?"_

_"I don't know… it just seemed like something else was going on there. I mean, the way you talk to her, the way you look at her, it's almost like…"_

_"I'll admit, I do feel different around her…. Something about her feels so… so familiar. Like someone I knew long ago…. I know it sounds crazy, but that's how I feel."_

Yugi sighed, understanding exactly what he meant. _"Don't worry about it Yami. You'll figure it out sooner or later. I'm sure of it…. You know what? We'll figure it out together! I'll help you!"_

Yami smiled. _"Thank you. That means a lot to me, Yugi."_

"Pharaoh!" A voice cried out. Yami's gaze snapped from the water to the owner of the voice. A man who looked to be about Yugi's age, if not older, with piercings covering his face was standing just below the nearby bridge. "It looks as though we meet again."

_"Oh no, not this again…"_ Yami groaned internally. _"This Malik guy just doesn't give up!"_ He stood up from his crouched position and faced this new challenger. "I've had enough of these games Malik! Stop using these innocent people as your shields, and face me yourself!"

"But isn't that what you're doing, Pharaoh? You're using that poor, innocent boy's body to face your enemies. You're no better than me."

Yami's fist clenched. "It's not like that and you know that, Malik!" he growled. "Don't you dare try to turn this on me! You have no right!"

"I have every right!" Malik shouted through his new servant. "You've taken everything from me! Now, it's my turn! I challenge you to a duel!"

Yami sighed, wanting more than anything to decline. But, according to the rules, he couldn't. He turned on his duel disk and faced Malik's minion. "Listen, Malik, whatever I have done to you, revenge isn't your answer. Before we even officially start this duel, I need to know…. What did I do to you?"

"You're a fool." Malik responded. "You don't have the slightest idea how much pain your very existence has caused me! Revenge _is_ the only answer for me. And soon, you'll learn to feel the pain I've felt."

"Malik, it's not too late! We can end this duel now before things get out of hand!"

"Enough talk!" Malik barked. "I'll go first, and make you regret ever entering this tournament!"

Yami sighed, closing his eyes. He'd tried negotiating, but _that_ obviously got him nowhere. He had no choice now, but to duel. In the back of his mind, he prayed that he won. Maybe his victory would be enough to knock some sense into Malik, and help him realize that he is wrong.

Maybe…. That seemed to be a word constantly on Yami's mind. _Maybe _Malik would stop all of this tormenting. _Maybe_ his friends would be safe, and Malik was just bluffing.

_Maybe._

Or maybe, Yami was in way over his head. Maybe Yami's attempts to convince Malik are what are putting his friends in danger.

Maybe all of this really _was_ his fault.

And maybe, this was Karma's way of getting back at him for it.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: And, once again, I triumph over yet another chapter! And after all of those 'maybe's I wrote, I considered renaming the chapter "Maybe." The word has officially lost all meaning to me!  
>Also, I realize that I'm skipping over a lot of the duels here, and though no one has complained so far, I know it must bother somebody out there. The reason why I'm skipping a lot is because my first Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic had nothing BUT duels written out in each chapter, and it got really boring after a while writing wise, and reading wise. I'm trying real hard to find the right balance between character development, the duels themselves, and avoiding the card game overkill. Yet at the same time, I'm trying to capture the main elements and the excitement going on in the duels. I'm also trying to move the story along a bit faster, (at least the first half of it), because I have a lot of ideas, and changes to the main plotline for both animes, in mind. That being said, there is a very important duel coming up in the next chapter, (maybe two if I'm unlucky), that may have a teensy bit of play-by-play going on. But when you see which duel it is, and the changes I've made to said duel, you'll understand why! ;)<em>**

**_This is seriously the longest author's note I've ever written…_**

**_Don't forget to be awesome!_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


	12. 11: Manipulation

Chapter 11  
>Manipulation<p>

When Mako had decided to meet up with Jounouchi once again, she never really intended for Ami, Mina, and Rei to follow along. Nor did she expect the rest of Yugi's friends to tag along. And yet, here she was, walking down the street with Jounouchi and the rest of the crew, scanning for their next targets.

Previously, Jounouchi had dueled yet another duelist from Duelist Kingdom that hadn't quite made the cut, Ryota Kajiki. **_(A/N: Also known as Mako Tsunami) _**His victory had granted him all six locator cards, and made him safe from other duelists. This made Mina and Mako frantic to gain the rest of their cards.

At one point in time, Mina had considered dueling against Mako. She knew well enough that if either of them wanted to get farther into the tournament, they'd have to face each other sooner or later. She, herself, would've preferred it to be sooner.

Unfortunately, some other poor sap had approached Mako and challenged her to a winner-takes-all duel. Mina had also found herself in a duel, all of this occurring before she could even begin to tell anyone of her crazy idea. The girls had found themselves victorious, with the rest of their friends right there to congratulate them. Mako now had all six of her cards, and Mina was just two cards away from gaining her passage to the finals.

Mina felt a sense of pride well up in her chest. This tournament was beginning to make her feel indestructible. With her newfound winning streak, and her new confidence, she felt as though she could take on Seto Kaiba once again, and kick his sorry butt into next week! She'd completely forgotten her idea of dueling Mako.

Mako on the other hand, had felt no change in her confidence. This was mainly because she'd gone into the tournament with all the confidence she could possibly muster. She wasn't one to brag, but she felt like she could actually make it into the finals. And, if she got lucky, she might even win this thing!

As both girls were busy wrapping their minds around their thoughts and feelings, Ami's keen eye caught onto two figures lurking in the shadows. She turned around completely seeing an injured man with pale hair leaning against a tanned skinned man with a mess of sandy blonde hair. Ami gasped, recognizing the injured man.

"Ryou!" she cried.

Everyone else turned, Yugi's gang giving gasps of their own. "Ryou!" Jounouchi shouted, running to grab hold of Ryou's right side.

"Oh my god! Is he ok?!" Anzu asked frantically.

"His not doing too well." The blonde man said. "I found him just a few minutes ago this way. Looks like some thugs got to him or something. He's got a deep gash on his arm. I tried to wrap it up as best as I could, but I think he might need to go to the hospital."

Ami pushed past Anzu, and had Jounouchi drop Ryou's arm down so she could get a better look. "Ryou?" She asked. "Ryou, I'm going to take a look at your arm, ok?"

He nodded slightly, looking too sick to respond. Ami slowly rolled down the makeshift bandage the blonde man had made from Ryou's shirt sleeve. She gasped, biting her lip to keep herself from making it seem any worse.

Whatever had cut Ryou had gotten deep into his arm. It was too big to just slap a band aid on and call it good. The blonde man was right. He did need medical attention.

"Anzu, call a taxi cab." Ami instructed. "Jou, you help keep him up. Ryou, stay with me, ok? Don't close your eyes, don't relax, and don't do anything. You've lost a lot of blood."

"Ryou" nodded, his weak gaze shifting to Ami. "Mi-Miss Mizuno…."

Ami shushed him. "Save your breath, Ryou. You'll only make this worse for yourself. Just hang in there, alright?"

He nodded again, growing faintly annoyed with her bossing. _"Who does she think she is!? If she knew who I was, I'd have her on her knees, bowing before me!"_

Within a matter of minutes, the taxi had arrived. Sugoroku had decided to go with Ryou to the hospital, leaving Ami in an awkward position. "Guys…." She said, still thinking on her decision. Finally, she'd made up her mind. "I'm going to go with them, alright? I'm going to make sure Ryou's ok."

They all nodded. "Alright, Ami." Jounouchi replied. "Be careful!" Mina added. "Get well soon, Ryou!" Anzu said, waving to them as the taxi pulled away.

Jounouchi turned to Ryou's timely rescuer, giving a small smile. "Thanks for helping Ryou, man. It seems like nobody is safe here nowadays."

"I know exactly what you mean." The man replied.

Rei instantly froze in place, recognizing that voice without even seeing the man's face.

"The name's Namu." The man said, sticking out his hand for Jounouchi to shake. Jou took it gladly. "Namu, huh? That's an interesting name."

"I tend to get that a lot." Namu replied with a smile.

That smile made Mako's skin crawl and Mina shiver. None of the scouts trusted him that was for sure.

Honda had taken this opportunity to glance at his watch for the first time in a while, realizing that he was late. "Damn it!" He shouted. "Jou, I totally forgot I have to go pick up Shizuka today! I'm sorry man, I gotta go!"

At the mention of Shizuka's name, Mina released a sigh of relief. "Mind if I tag along?" She asked, looking for an excuse to get as far away from this "Namu" character as possible. Honda latched onto Mina's arm. "Yeah, sure. Whatever." He said quickly, dragging her behind him. "Do whatever you like, we just gotta go now!"

"I'll see you later, Jou!" Mina called behind her. "Save a spot for me at the finals!"

"Will do!" Jou called back.

Mako's eyes narrowed, secretly plotting to murder Mina for leaving her here with a frozen Rei and this creepy "Namu" guy.

"So, where you from Namu?" Anzu asked. "You new in town? If so, we'd be more than happy to show you around!"

"I'd like that." Namu said. "I move around a lot, so it's pretty hard for me to make many friends."

"Well, we could be your friends if you want." Anzu said. "The more the merrier, as I always say."

"Namu" smirked. Little did they know, they were conversing with the very man threatening to tear that friendship of theirs apart.

* * *

><p>Usagi was hysterical with laughter as Naru's life points spun down to zero, declaring the blonde as the winner.<p>

Naru merely smiled, watching her friend dance and skip around in victory. Believe it or not, Naru hadn't gone easy on Usagi, or let her win, or anything of that matter. She'd given her all, and Usagi had honestly and truly bested that.

Naru reached into her pocket, pulling out the cards Usagi had rightfully earned. "Here, Usagi. You won them fair and square."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Usagi squealed, taking Naru's cards. "This means the world to me, Naru! Thank you so much!"

Naru's smile never faltered. "I guess I should've listened to you when you'd said you'd gotten better. I'm sorry for doubting you, Usagi."

"That's alright, Naru. I understand." Usagi replied. "Hey, are you going to stick around and watch the finals? I'd love to have you there for support."

"Maybe…" Naru said, trailing off. "I'll talk it over with my mother. If not, I'll be with you in spirit. Ok?"

Usagi nodded. "Ok, that works too!"

"Hey, Usagi, before you go…. There's something you should know…. Things are going to get tough from here. Whatever you do, don't give up. You've got your friends to back you up when things get hard. When you feel like giving up, focus on them alright?"

Usagi smiled, pulling her best friend into a hug. "I will. Thank you, Naru." She glanced over at the doorway of the diner, noticing Yami was no longer there. She frowned, wondering where he could've gone.

A sudden vibration in her pocket had given her an answer. She pulled away from Naru, slipping her hand into her pocket to retrieve her cell phone. She flipped it open, seeing that she'd received a text message from Yugi's phone.

_Come to the town's reservoir. I've got something to tell you, and show you. _

Usagi snapped her phone shut, turning back to Naru. "Hey, I gotta go meet up with a friend of mine. I'll see you later, alright?"

Naru nodded. "Alright. See you later Usagi…. Don't forget what I told you."

"I won't. I promise."

With one last hug, Usagi was off. After asking a few people for directions, she found herself on the right track towards Yugi's direction. Within minutes, she found herself reunited not with Yugi, but Yami. Before him laid an unconscious man with piercings covering his face. Usagi looked from him, and back at Yami. "Was this what you wanted to show me?" she asked.

Until she had spoken, Yami hadn't noticed that she'd arrived. He spun around on his heel, his eyes wide.

What had happened next shocked Usagi to the point that she'd forgotten to breathe.

Yami grabbed onto her shoulder, and pulled her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. Usagi blushed, wondering what was going on. "Yami?"

She could hear his heart beating against his chest, pounding rapidly as if she'd frightened him. "Yami, what's wrong?"

"I… I was worried sick about you!" He said, his voice sounding as if he was about to cry. "Malik… He told me that everyone was in danger, all because of me. I couldn't get a hold of anybody, and I feared the worst. You… you wouldn't believe how relieved I am to see you. I thought he'd gotten to you."

Usagi slowly began to piece together the reason behind his worry. She knew part of it was because she was his friend, and he was terrified for all of his friends because of this Malik guy. But part of her wondered if there was something more to it…

She stood there for a few moments, letting him hold her and take in the fact that she was alright. She felt safe, standing there. She relaxed in his grip, taking a deep breath.

Oddly enough, Yami has a faint scent about him. It was one that Usagi hadn't noticed before, but she knew Yugi didn't have this scent. Yami smelled like one of those Egyptian cotton candles Ami liked to light in her bedroom whenever she had always claimed that the smell relaxed her, but it had always given Usagi a monster of a headache. _**(A/N: Yes these candles do exsist. My mom has a few of them.)**_ He also had a faint scent of spices she'd always smelt at Mako's house whenever she was baking.

She dismissed the spice scent as Yugi's deodorant, or cologne. She knew that her brother wore something similar. But the cotton smell… she wondered if she was just imagining it. Maybe she was just saying it was Egyptian because of the story he'd told her earlier.

Yami's voice broke her from her trance. "Did you win your duel with your friend?"

Usagi pulled her head from his chest, looking into his eyes. She no longer felt uncomfortable in his gaze. In fact, she felt just as safe looking into his eyes as she did in his arms. "You mean Naru? Yeah. I won."

"You did? That's great!" Yami said, a grin breaking out. "You don't seem very excited. You know what this means right?!"

"I'm in the finals." Usagi said simply.

Yami frowned. "Are you alright? You seem a bit… Off."

"Hmmm?" Usagi asked. She then suddenly snapped out of her trance. "Oh, Yami! I'm sorry; I was kind of daydreaming there."

Yami's smile returned. "I can see that. Aren't you excited about the finals?"

"I was." Usagi admitted. "The excitement kind of died down." Then a thought struck her. "You said Malik was threatening the gang right?"

A flash a pain appeared in Yami's eyes, showing that he began to regret forgetting about it. He nodded grimly. Usagi pulled away from him, reaching for her phone. "I need to call the girls and warn them. If I'm right, they went off with Jounouchi and the others. If I can get a hold of at least one of them that should be enough to get the message out."

This brought a form of comfort to Yami, but not enough to send his and Yugi's minds at ease. His heartbeat doubled as she dialed the numbers, praying to whatever source of power would listen that his friends were alright.

* * *

><p><strong><em>(AN: Just thought I'd say, for those that want to add a bit more suspense to this section of the story, I would suggest listening to the song "The Rally" from the "Avatar: Legend of Korra" soundtrack. I listened to it while writing this part and it fit almost perfectly! That is all…))_**

Mako stood leaning against the wall of the Domino City Aquarium, resisting the urge to slam her fist into this "Namu's" face. She could tell that every word he spoke was dripping with lies. Not only that, but he made her completely uncomfortable, and was obviously making Rei uncomfortable as well.

"Are they done talking yet?" Mako groaned quietly.

Rei sighed glancing down at her watch. "Fifteen minutes and counting. We tried telling them that we had to go, did we not?"

"Yeah. I can't stand another minute of this." Mako replied. "I don't care where we go, but anywhere is better than being around _him_."

Luckily for Mako, a sudden vibration in her pocket had granted her the moment of freedom she'd been asking for. She pulled her phone out, seeing that, for whatever reason, Usagi was calling her. "Hey, Jou!" She said loudly, gaining the blonde's attention. "I need to take this call. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Jou nodded. "Alright. We'll be here when you get back."

Mako walked farther away from the group, feeling that this phone call needed to be private. "Hello?"

_"Mako! Are you alright? Where are you? Oh my god, I am so worried about you!"_

"Usagi, I'm fine. I'm with Jounouchi and the rest of the gang…. Actually, Mina went off with Honda to go pick up Shizuka, and Ami had to go with Sugoroku and a friend of hers to the hospital. But Rei's still with me. Why? What's wrong?"

It was then that Usagi relayed the message of Malik's threat. Mako almost wanted to drop her phone. "Y-You can't be serious!"

_"I'm dead serious! You need to get everyone together and meet us at the town reservoir. Mina will know where it is."_

"Alright, I'll-" Mako was cut off, hearing Anzu screaming and Rei shouting "Get off of him!" She spun around on her heel, seeing a group of Rare Hunters crowding around the gang. Mako's eyes widened. "I'll call you back, Usagi." She said.

_"Wait, what?! Mako, what's wro-"_

Mako snapped her phone shut, and shoved it into her pocket. She then dropped herself behind a cluster of garbage cans, and grabbed her pen. She was sick of all of these Rare Hunters, and was going to teach them a lesson. Once and for all.

She brought her pen up, and muttered her transformation phrase. When her transformation was finished, she stood up and dusted herself off before stepping back out onto the sidewalk.

Jounouchi was fighting back against at least three of the Hunters by himself, but the same couldn't be said for everyone else. Anzu was caught around the throat by one Hunter, kicking and screaming for someone to help them. Rei had her arms pinned behind her back, and was slammed up against a wall. Namu was crouched on the ground, trying to fight off the three Hunters kicking and punching him.

"Hey!" Jupiter shouted, gaining the attention of the Hunters. A smirk appeared on the face of the one holding Rei. "Sailor Jupiter." He said. Jupiter's eyes widened, recognizing him as one of the remaining Rare Hunters from the night Jounouchi was attacked. "Why is it you always seem to appear when _these_ people are in danger?"

"Why do you always seem to be the one attacking them?" Jupiter retorted, bringing her hand up to her tiara. She really didn't want to hear his explanation; she just wanted them to back off.

Shocks of lightning flew from her fingertips with a quick flick of her wrist, striking the men holding Anzu and Rei, and two of the men beating on Namu. Anzu and Rei took this opportunity to help Jounouchi with his fight, and Namu got back to his feet. Two of the Hunters got back to their feet, and charged at Jupiter.

She ducked, dodging a fist that aimed for her face and sent a kick to the other man's groin, toppling him to the ground. Jupiter than sprang back to her feet, delivering a sharp uppercut to the jaw of the man that had tried to hit her. That punch was enough to send him to the ground, groaning in pain.

Jupiter panted, her gaze turning back to her friends. The rest of the Rare Hunters that hadn't attempted to attack her were advancing on Anzu and Rei, grabbing them by the waists and pinning their arms to their sides. Jupiter lifted up her hand again, preparing herself for another attack.

"That's quite enough, Sailor Scout." The lead Rare Hunter spat. Jupiter's gaze then fell on him, and she nearly gasped. He had Jounouchi's arms bent back painfully behind his head, and had his own arms positioned lethally around his neck. "If I see another lightning bolt escape your fingers, I snap his neck. If you continue to fight after that, the lovely ladies next to me will die."

Tears formed at the corners of Jounouchi's eyes when he tried to fight against the grip, so she knew he wasn't bluffing. Her gaze fell on Rei, and the Scout of Fire merely shook her head and mouthed one word. "Don't."

"Give up this fight, Sailor Jupiter, and we'll let them go. Continue to fight, however, and the consequences will be dire."

Jupiter clenched a fist, wanting to drive it into the man's face. Slowly, her fist unclenched and her hands dropped to her sides. "Alright. You win. Now let them go."

The Rare Hunter smirked, and for the first time, Jupiter noticed the faint golden eye illuminating from his forehead. "No… I don't think I will."

Suddenly, Jupiter felt a dark energy force its way into her mind. Her body suddenly became heavy, and she could longer function on her own.

Slowly, her hands rose to her face and her fingers grasped numbly at her mask. Rei's eyes widened. "No! Stop!" She shouted. "Don't do it!"

Mako had wanted more than anything to stop, but her hands would no longer respond. A green light flashed as she removed her mask, and Sailor Jupiter was no more.

A sharp gasp escaped from Anzu's lips, and Rei bowed her head. Jounouchi's eyes widened. "M-Mako?"

"No…" Mako managed to whisper through a small break in this dark force's hold on her. She then felt the presence leave her mind, leaving her weak. She dropped down to her knees, and then passed out onto the sidewalk.

Jou, Anzu, and Rei all collapsed in their captors arms, feeling a dark power render them unconscious. Before Mako had blacked out completely, she'd realized something.

She hadn't seen "Namu" at all during that fight.

* * *

><p>Usagi snapped her phone shut angrily, resisting the urge to smash it in her anger. She'd called Mako at least seven times after she'd been hung up on. She'd attempted to call Ami and Mina as well, but had received no response.<p>

Ever since Usagi started making phone calls, her and Yami had left the reservoir behind them, and began to wander the streets of Domino.

"No luck?" Yami asked.

Usagi shook her head. "No and I'm really worried. Mako hung up on me, and it sounded like something was happening in the background."

"Did she say where she was?"

"She said she was with Jounouchi and the rest of the gang…. Yami, what if something bad happened to them? What…. What if….?" She paused, her hands beginning to shake.

Yami placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, it's alright." He said. "We'll find them, alright?"

Usagi nodded, trying not to think the worst. "It's funny, just a little bit ago I was trying to comfort _you_."

A smile founds its way to Yami's face as he drew his hands away. "It looks as though the tables have turned."

"Yugi!" a gruff voice shouted. Yami's eyes snapped up ahead, seeing the last person he'd want to see right now.

"Kaiba." He sighed.

Usagi's eyes suddenly lit up, seeing the Duel Monsters legend that was Seto Kaiba. As he made his way towards them, a huge smile formed on her face. She'd completely forgotten about her friends and their apparent danger.

"No way. You're Seto Kaiba? _The_ Seto Kaiba?!"

"Who else would I be?" Kaiba responded rudely. He was never one of fangirls. "My business doesn't concern you and whatever fantasies are floating around in that bunhead of yours. My business revolves around Yugi."

Usagi scoffed. "Rude much? And I'm not a bunhead!"

Kaiba ignored that, his gaze shifting back to Yami. "You owe me that duel, Motou. Especially since now, you have something I want."

"Story of his life." Usagi muttered. "Everybody wants something from the King of Games."

"Kaiba, I don't have time for you and whatever ego-induced quest you're on right now." Yami snapped. "My friends are in danger."

"I could care less about your pathetic friends. I want that God Card, and I will stop at nothing to get it!"

"A God Card? What's that?" Usagi asked. Kaiba's eyes narrowed, glaring at her in response. "You're about as stupid as you look, bunhead. A God Card is one of the most powerful and indestructible cards in the game. They make Exodia look like a Kuriboh in comparison. But obviously, you're too dense to understand that."

Usagi opened her mouth to retaliate, but Yami put a hand out to stop her. "Leave her be, Kaiba." He growled. "And like I said, I don't have time for this. If anything happens to my friend, it'll be on your head."

Kaiba scoffed in response. "Right. You're just looking for an excuse. Your friends ar-" He paused, catching sight of a helicopter flying towards them. His eyes widened, seeing someone all too familiar dangling for his life from said helicopter.

"Seto, help me!" Mokuba cried.

Usagi's eyes widened as well, her heart filling with the urge to jump up and help him. Kaiba shoved past her, running towards his brother. "Hang on Mokuba! I'm coming!"

He was just in reach for a split second before the helicopter jerked to the left, pulling his little brother away from his grasp. "Mokuba!" He shouted, his hand still outstretched as if he could still grab him. When his brother was out of sight, Kaiba's hand retreated to his chest, clenching to a fist.

"Now do you see what's going on here, Kaiba?" Yami said simply. "Now your brother has been captured, and who knows what's happened to my friends. If you help me, I can help you. Together, we can save Mokuba and maybe my friends if they share the same threat. I know for a fact that those were Rare Hunters flying that helicopter."

Kaiba's fist shook against his chest. "This is your fault!" He growled. "It always is!" He spun around, lashing out at Yami.

His fist never made contact with Yami. Instead, his hand had smacked into the lithe hand of Usagi, who had pushed herself between the two. She stood tall, creating an iron grip around Kaiba's fist with her slender fingers.

"That's enough." She hissed. "I've had enough of the fighting today!"

Kaiba's eyes widened in shock. Maybe he'd underestimated this girl. Of course, this was something he'd never say out loud.

She released his fist from her grasp, throwing back down to his side. "Now, you listen here. I've only known you personally for a few minutes, and so far you haven't made a great impression. You've insulted me, got in my friend's way when all he's trying to do is protect the people he loves, and attempted to assault him. Yet, for some reason, he's offering to help you save your brother. This is how you repay him?" She threw her hands to her hips. "He's being a bigger man than you are here. So suck up whatever the hell is wrong with you, and accept his help already. At least he's showing that somebody cares."

Yami was a mixture of impressed, and frightened. With everything that Usagi had encountered, she'd finally snapped. He was impressed with how she was standing up for him, yet was frightened by the sudden mood change, making her become unpredictable.

Kaiba crossed his arms, releasing a huff of air. "Fine." He mumbled. "I'll help you find your friends. So long as you help me find my brother."

Usagi smirked dropping her hands. "Thank you."

With that said, Kaiba began to lead the way back to the Kaiba Corp. building with Yami and Usagi in tow.

"What the hell was that?" Yami asked her quietly. "That…. That mood change. That was insane!"

Usagi blushed. "I just uh… got mad I guess. I've been hanging around Rei too much, so occasionally my temper gets out of control like hers does. I just got frustrated. I mean, I've been picked on all day, nearly had my legs chopped off, and had to worry about Rare Hunters stalking me and the rest of the gang. I wasn't going to take any crap from some rich kid who thinks he's better than everybody else."

"You're still a bit angry aren't you?" Yami assumed.

Usagi brought up her hand and brought her index finger and thumb together to signal that she was a little bit angry.

Yami had to admit, this side of Usagi intrigued him. The angry side of her seemed tougher and bolder compared to her normal sweet natured self. Part of him wanted to see more of this side.

It was then that a series of images began to appear before his eyes. The vision contained two people, a man and a woman. Like his dreams from a few nights ago, everything from the neck up on these people was blacked out by some kind of mist.

* * *

><p><em>She growled in frustration, throwing herself on her bed and trying with all her might not to cry. "I hate him!" she whispered. "I hate him, I hate him, I HATE him!" She slammed her fist into a pillow. She knew she was behaving like a child, but couldn't care less. She was so angry right now that she couldn't think properly.<em>

_"Princess?" A male voice spoke. She lifted her head up from the bed and rolled over onto her back. "What do you want?" she asked. She didn't say it angrily, so it was obvious her anger wasn't directed towards him._

_"You're upset." He pointed out obviously. "Did I do something to upset you?"_

_She rolled back over onto her stomach. "No… It's that priest of yours…"_

_He sat down on the bed next to her. "Princess, please sit up." Slowly, she complied. His hand traveled up to her face, caressing her cheek. "Now, tell me, what has he done wrong?"_

_She leaned into his touch, the ghost of a smile forming on her thin lips. She didn't want to tell him. She knew that the priest she'd hated was his close friend, and one of his advisors. But he knew the way to get the answer from her sooner or later. "I…. I hate him." She replied simply, turning her back to him. "He doesn't respect me. He tried me like an imbecile! He acts as though I know nothing, and he knows everything. He embarrassed me in front of the Solar Guardians, and nearly made me cry…. I can't take it!" Her last three words had escaped her lips as a growl, sending a chill down the man's spine._

_He frowned at hearing what his faithful priest had done, and promised her that he would deal with it. But that feeling towards her anger, that... thrill, refused to go away. Her anger and tenseness was still obvious on her face._

_To sooth her, he placed his hands gently to her bare shoulders and began to massage her tense, knotted up muscles. "I've never seen you this angry before. I'll admit, it's kind of exciting seeing you this way. I'm so used to the kind, gentle princess I brought down here. It's interesting to see another side of you."_

_She smirked in response. "Is that so? You didn't think I could be angry?"_

_"I honestly didn't think it was in your nature." He replied. His hand began to trail down her shoulder and took a hold of her hand. "You're so beautiful." He whispered into her ears. "Whether you're angry or not."_

_She shivered in response, closing her eyes. His other hand snaked around her slender waist, pulling her closer to him. He placed a gentle kiss on her neck, causing her eyes to shoot open. She pulled herself away from him and jumped to her feet. She spun around, facing him. "I… I need to so. Mana said that she wanted to teach me some tricks today. I'm…. I'm sorry."_

_He continued to sit upon that bed, dumbstruck, even after she had left. What had he done wrong now? He didn't hurt her, he knew this much. Had he offended her in some way?_

_No matter how he'd gone about what he'd done, he didn't think he'd done anything wrong. Never before had a woman reacted to him that way. This both confused him, and intrigued him at the same time._

_With the gods as his witnesses, he'd figure out the Princess, and make her his._

* * *

><p>Yami shook his head, breaking himself off from the vision. He hadn't realized that he was standing in the middle of the road with Kaiba and Usagi staring at him.<p>

Usagi stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Yami? Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

Within that second, Yami felt an electric tingle coarse down his arm. Almost as if he'd felt this feeling before, in this very same situation. He shook his head again, forcing a smile to hide his puzzlement. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied. "Come on, let's go." He took a hold of her hand, and pulled her behind him.

"About time." Kaiba muttered as the two caught up with him.

As the three of them walked into the building, Yami couldn't help but try and piece together the vision he'd just suddenly seen. Who were the man and woman in all of these visions? Did they have anything to do with his past life? "That would definitely explain why they feel so familiar to me." Yami concluded mentally. "But still, that leaves the other questions unanswered."

It was then and there, he promised himself he'd figure out the answers to these questions, no matter the cost.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, I really meant to end this chapter when Mako and everybody else passed out, but I got the urge to keep writing, and I submitted to it. And boy, am I glad I did! I gotta say, I love the idea of Usagi having a bit more backbone to her when she's still unaware of her role to the Moon Kingdom. Adds a bit of a twist to it, and makes her character a bit more fun for me to write. Not that writing her wasn't fun before, but it just contributes a little bit. Anyways, I got unlucky. The duel I've been looking forward to writing since this story idea popped into my head will have to be saved for the next chapter. It was supposed to be this chapter, but I thought it would be too soon for it. I do have to pace myself, you know. But fear not. I will write that chapter and update as soon as I can!_**

**_Keep up the reading and reviews. Every email I get regarding this story adds a smile to my face and a ray of sunlight to my gloomy, rainy, Washington days. (I am not kidding when I say this. I practically crave the feedback.)_**

**_Many hugs and kisses!_**

**_-Rowan Cousland _**


	13. 12: Torn Hearts and Corrupted Minds

Chapter 12

Torn Hearts and Corrupted Minds

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I'd like to take this moment to thank everyone who is supporting this fanfic. It means the world to me that people like/love my work. I seriously mean this, from the bottom of my heart. Some people may think I'm only saying this to suck up, or something. But I'm not. It really does mean a lot to me. You guys are amazing! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and the very twisted addition I made to this._**

* * *

><p>Mako groaned as she opened her eyes again. Her head was pounding and her shoulders were screaming with a stabbing pain. Strands of hair had come loose from her ponytail, hanging annoyingly in her face. The faint smell of bleach entered her nostrils, making her head feel worse. From her surroundings, she could tell she was in some kind of storage area. What was in the room, as far as she could tell, were herself and a lot of cleaning supplies.<p>

Her first instinct was to drop her head into her hands to try and sooth her headache, but soon found herself unable to do so.

She felt something rubbing up against her wrists, restricting her from moving her hands. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing that her arms were tied down to the chair she was seated upon. She strained against the ropes holding her, trying to find a point where she could attempt to break free. Whoever had tied her took extra care to make sure she couldn't break out. She sighed from her defeat, bowing her head. "Damn it!" she muttered.

"Mako?" A male voice whispered her name, causing her to lift her head and look to her left. About a foot away from her sat Jounouchi stuck in the same position as her. A small bruise resided on his cheek and his lip was cut open from his fight with the Rare Hunters. "Jounouchi!" Mako breathed. "Thank god you're alright."

"I can say the same for you." The blonde replied with a small smile. He groaned as a sharp pain spread across his face. "Damn it. That Rare Hunter got me good, didn't he? I feel like crap."

Mako nodded solemnly. "You put up one hell of a fight though. I'm proud of you."

"That's right, you were there." Jounouchi said, remembering what had been revealed to him not even an hour ago. "So you're Sailor Jupiter, huh?"

Mako knew she couldn't lie her way out of it anymore. She had no choice now. She'd taken her mask off in front of him. "Yes." She sighed. "I'm Sailor Jupiter."

She squeezed her eyes shut expecting him to say the worst he could. She thought he was going to call her a freak, a liar, and whatever name he could come up with. She…. She thought he was going to leave her. Her worst case scenario was that he would get himself free, and leave her behind.

You couldn't blame her for feeling this way. Everyone left her eventually.

To her surprise, he didn't. What he had said shocked her to her very core. "Mako, do you realize how badass that is?!"

Mako's eyes shot open, and she turned her head to look at him. "Huh? You're not mad at me?"

Jounouchi's gaze fell back on her, laced with confusion. "No… Why would I be mad at you?"

"Well… I lied to you!" Mako pointed out. "I kept all these secrets, and I put you in danger during that fight earlier. When that Rare Hunter threatened to kill you."

"Mako… You realize that would've happened even if you hadn't gotten involved, right? I probably would've died if you hadn't done anything. For that I'm grateful. Hell, I owe you a million times over for that."

"Jou, no. Don't. You don't ha-"

"I'm not finished, Mako." Jounouchi said, cutting her off. "I can see why you had to lie and keep those secrets. I mean, you're practically a super hero! Every super hero has their secret identity. Otherwise they end up putting people in danger because of their enemies. So, in a way, you were just trying to protect everyone. That's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I think it's pretty brave of you."

Mako blushed. She liked the idea of being called a super hero, and Jounouchi's words seemed to melt away all of her guilt. "Thank you, Jou. I really needed to hear that."

Jounouchi smiled, wishing that he wasn't tied up so he could comfort her more. "You're welcome, Mako. And I hope you know that I mean every word of it. I'm not normally one for sappy pep talks, that's normally Anzu's job, but you…" he paused, unsure of how to finish.

Mako's smile never left her face. Jounouchi really seemed to care about her and her feelings, and that really touched her. It had been a long time since a _man_ seemed to care about what she wanted.

"Hey Mako? I've got a question for you."

"Doesn't look like we're going anywhere for a while, so I've got the time to answer." Mako replied, gaining a chuckle from Jounouchi. "Go ahead."

"Rei seemed really upset about you revealing yourself…. With the look on her face…. She looked…. Defeated, I guess is the word. So, I have to ask…. Is she involved with this whole Sailor Scout thing too?"

Mako had to admit, Jounouchi was smarter than the guys gave him credit for. Most people never seemed to make that connection. She sighed, not wanting to hide it anymore. She was sick of the lying, and sick of all the stress from it. "Yes…. She's Sailor Mars."

"No way! That is so cool!" Jounouchi exclaimed. "What about the rest of the girls? Are they Sailor Scouts too?"

He sounded like a kid who had just met his childhood hero, making Mako's smile turn to a grin. "Was it that obvious?"

Jounouchi grew even more excited within that moment. "No freaking way! Mina too? My own cousin!? This is amazing! My cousin's a super hero!"

Mako laughed in response. "Yes. Mina is Sailor Venus, Ami is Sailor Mercury, and Usagi is Sailor Moon."

Jounouchi frowned then, seeming a bit surprised. "Usagi? Seriously?"

Mako's lips pressed into a firm line, and she nodded. "Believe it or not."

"Huh. Never would've thought of her as a leader." Jounouchi admitted. "But that does explain a bit. How you all just _happened_ to show up and save Yugi earlier today."

"Yeah, not everyone seems to make that connection. How we all just _happen_ to disappear, and the Sailor Scouts just _happen_ to show up moments later. I'm surprised nobody's exposed us sooner."

"If it helps at all," Jounouchi added. "I won't tell anybody. I figured you'd want to tell the gang yourself if it ever came down to that. I mean, just because I know doesn't mean everybody else has to."

Had she not been tied down to that damn chair, Mako would've jumped up and hugged him then and there. "Thank you, Jounouchi…. You're a true friend. You have no idea how much this means to me!"

Jounouchi blushed. "Aw, come on Mako. I'm not _that_ great of a friend."

"Shut up!" Mako giggled. "You are too! Most people would run around blabbing about this secret in any way they could. You're keeping it a secret, and I really appreciate it. I'm sure the rest of the group would appreciate it too."

Jounouchi cast his gaze to his feet, not used to receiving all of these compliments. "Yeah, but, that's just how I run things, you know? When it comes to secrets, I keep my mouth shut until further notice."

"You're loyal." Mako added. "You look out for everyone, and you try to protect everyone. That's what I love about you."

Jounouchi's gaze shot up at her words. "What?" He asked, wondering if he'd heard her correct.

Mako realized within that moment what she had said. Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. "I…. I mean…." Her face was hot was embarrassment. "I meant to say like!" She insisted. "I mean…. You know…. I….. God damn it…"

Jounouchi smiled. "Mako, it's ok. Don't worry about it. It was an accident. I do that kind of thing all the time. Accidents happen, right?"

Mako laughed. "Yeah. You're right….. Accidents." She let out a sigh of relief. She wanted to smack herself for being so stupid. What the hell was she thinking!? _Love_?! She'd only known him for a day for Christ sake!

….And yet, a small part of her didn't regret that little slip of the tongue.

To keep her mind off of her act of stupidity, she tried again to see if she could get free from her bindings. Once again, she found herself unable to move much. She secretly wished that she'd started keeping her pocket knife in her back pocket as opposed to her backpack.

"Hey Jou, you got a knife on you?" She asked.

Jou wriggled in his seat trying to feel if he'd put it in _his_ back pocket. "I always do." He assured her. "I just don't know _where_ I put it today." He scooted his body as far forward as his bindings would let him, and heard something clatter to the seat of the chair.

He strained to look behind him, seeing that his own pocket knife was just a few inches away from his fingers. He attempted to scoot back into his spot slowly, inching the knife towards his waiting hands.

"Almost got it." He said, scooting back a bit. "Almost…. Got it!" He flicked open the knife in his hands, and began to saw away at the ropes. "I'll be out in no time, and then I'll get you free."

Mako gave a small smile and her eyes lit up with hope. They were going to make it, she was sure of it!

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, slamming against the wall. This made Jounouchi jump in surprise, and loose his grip on his knife. "Shit!" he hissed as the blade clattered to the floor. "Son of a bitch!"

Mako's heart dropped to the floor along with the knife. Then and there, she wanted to cry. They were so close…

She squinted through the bright light that now filled the room, obscuring her view.

A tall figure entered the room, dressed in a purple cloak with a hood pulled down over his face. From what little she could see, she could only assume it was another Rare Hunter. Or worse. It could've also been Malik.

"What the hell is going on here?" Mako demanded. "Why are we here?"

"_You're _here because you decided to stick your nose where it didn't belong, Makoto Kino." The man's deep voice snapped. "You're friend, on the other hand, was our intended target from the very beginning. You were just a bonus."

"Listen here, you!" Jounouchi cut in. "You leave her alone! If I was you're intended target, let her go."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." The man said. Mako might have been imagining it, but she detected a hint of regret in his words. "If I let her go, she'll run right to your friends, or the police, and get help. Not that it will do much good, your tracking devices in you Duel Disks have been shut off. No one will be able to find you."

"Who the hell are you!" Mako spat.

"I am Malik."

Mako's heart sank farther. Her fears were confirmed, but she wasn't going to let that bother her. She kept a straight face, fighting off the urge to cry. "So, what are you going to do? Use us to get to Yugi?"

"Malik" chuckled. "You're smarter than I thought. That's exactly what we're going to do. But, in order for this to work, you're going to have to serve us. Both of you."

"No!" Jounouchi shouted. "Forget it!"

"Not only no, but _hell_ no!" Mako added. "We'll never serve you!"

"Malik" reached behind him and retrieved a golden object from his belt loops. He pointed at Mako with it, a small glow forming from it. "I'm afraid, young lady, that you have no choice in the matter. With the power of my Millennium Rod, you won't be able to refuse."

"Mako, no!" Jounouchi shouted, fighting to tear himself free from the ropes. Mako squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against the dark force prying its way into her mind. "No…" She struggled to say as parts of her body began to shut down, making her body become heavy. "I… I won't…. I…."

Her lips stopped moving, and her body was lost to her. Her head slumped forward as the dark force completely overtook her body.

"Mako?" Jounouchi asked hesitantly. "Mako, speak to me!"

Her head slowly lifted, tossing back her stands of hair that had come loose. Her eyes were blank, and the faint outline of a golden eye glowed on her forehead. A twisted smirk played on her lips as her gaze fell on Jounouchi. "I'm not Mako anymore, Jounouchi." She said, her voice not sounding her own. "I am a servant of Malik and the Rare Hunters."

Jounouchi wanted to cry. He'd lost her, and there was nothing he could do about it. When "Malik" approached him, he merely shut his eyes and bowed his head. There was no point in fighting it now, he knew Mako had fought, and had lost.

The dark force took control of his body almost effortlessly.

Within seconds, Jounouchi was no more.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you can't find them?!" Usagi shouted.<p>

Kaiba cringed as her shrill voice reached his ears. "Exactly what I said, bunhead. They're off the radar! Someone must've tampered with the sensors in their Duel Disks."

"Well don't you have a back up for them, or something!?" Usagi asked.

"No, because I didn't expect the participants of my tournament to get kidnapped, so excuse me for not preparing for every little disaster!"

"This is ridiculous!" Usagi exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "All this time we're wasting staring at a blank computer, we could've found them by now!"

"You're so sure of that." Kaiba pointed out. "Domino is a huge city. They could be _anywhere_!"

"Will you two stop it!?" Yami shouted. "Honestly, you two are acting like a bunch of children!"

"He started it!" Usagi cried, pointing at Kaiba accusingly.

Yami sighed, placing his head in his hand. "Usagi has a point, though. We could've spent this time searching for them ourselves. Who knows what could be happening to them."

"I can answer that." A small voice panted. The three teens turned to see a raven haired boy bent over trying to catch his breath. Kaiba nearly jumped out of his skin. "Mokuba! What happened to you? Are you alright?"

Mokuba lifted his head, smiling. "I'm fine, bro. Believe it or not; I was able to escape those Rare Hunter creeps with the help of Anzu. Yugi's friends are being held at the shipping yards. Anzu was safe, but I don't know about Jounouchi. Some other girls were there too, according to Anzu. I think ones name was Makoto or something like that. The other girl's name was Rei, I'm sure of that. I didn't see them when I was there, but Anzu was positive they were there."

Usagi gasped. "I knew it! I knew something had happened to them!"

Yami got down onto his knee, and placed his hands on Mokuba's shoulders. "Thank you, Mokuba. You have no idea how much this means to me." He stood up, and turned to face Usagi. "We should get going."

"Wait, why don't we take you?" Mokuba suggested. "We can take the Kaiba Corp. helicopter and get there in no time."

"Wait, hold on a second!" Kaiba snapped. "We had a deal, Motou. And since my brother's safe now, I don't have to help you anymore."

"But Seto!" Mokuba shouted.

"But nothing, Mokuba. His friends aren't my responsibility. If he wants to go get himself killed over them, it's not my problem."

"But you owe Anzu for helping me!" Mokuba pointed out. "She helped me escape!" he paused suddenly, a smirk forming on his face. He then crossed his arms. "And we both know how much you hate being in someone's debt, Big Brother."

Kaiba scowled, trying to find a way to retaliate. Despite how hard he tried, he could find none. Mokuba had found the one thing he hated more than Yugi and his pathetic friends. He sighed. "Alright, fine. Take the elevator up to the top floor and get into the helicopter. I'll be up there in a few minutes.

The two nodded, following Kaiba's instructions. While they stood in the elevator, Usagi said, "I really can't stand him, you know."

Yami smirked. "No, really? I never would've guessed."

"He's an arrogant, self-centered, jerk face!" Usagi exclaimed, dismissing Yami's sarcasm. "I mean, seriously! How can you stand being around him all the time?!"

Yami shrugged. "Ignore it, I guess. He's found nothing better to do with his life than challenge me. I just go along with it, and hope he learns something from all of it."

"That sounds frustrating." Usagi said. "If it were me, I would've blown up on him. I would've told him to use his millions to go get a life, or something like that."

Yami chuckled. "I'd like to see that."

The two had gone silent as the elevator opened up to a small flight of stairs that led up to the roof. Once they were up the stairs and on the roof, they saw Kaiba and Mokuba standing in front of their ride.

"About time." Kaiba muttered as they approached. "Hurry up! We're wasting time!"

Usagi sighed, resisting the urge to respond to him. Instead, she walked past him with her head held high and got into the helicopter. The three boys followed after her, and Mokuba had snagged the seat next to Usagi before Yami could even think of it. Sighing, Yami took the seat across from her and managed to keep his distance from Kaiba.

The doors to the helicopter shut, and they were off. Usagi looked out the window at the city below, taking in the view. All the while, she could only imagine what was going on in that shipping yard, and frantically wondered what has happening to her friends.

* * *

><p>Rei's eyes fluttered open, and at first she thought she was dreaming. She was laying on one of the most comfortable bed's she'd ever laid on, and was residing in one of the most beautiful looking rooms she'd ever seen. She sat up slowly, a sharp pain pounding in her head. There was a pitcher of ice water on the nightstand next to her, along with two glasses. She took one of the glasses, and filled it with the water.<p>

She chugged the water down quickly, not realizing how thirsty she really was. She originally just grabbed the water to help her head, and it was definitely doing the trick.

With her headache numbed, she got off of the bed and began to look around. The walls of the room were a light tan color with a few framed photos nailed up in some areas. Most of the photos were of sand dunes, which Rei had assumed from a beach or something. But, upon closer inspection of one photo, Rei could see two gold pyramids in the background.

"I took those in Egypt." A voice spoke. Rei spun around, seeing the man who called himself Namu standing in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she backed up against the wall. "Namu" smirked. "Those photos would've looked a lot better if I took them at sunset, but it was my last day in the country."

"Why am I here?" Rei demanded, inching her way back towards the nightstand. "What happened to my friends?"

"You don't need to be afraid of me Rei." He replied. "I saved you. You don't remember it because those thugs that ganged up on us knocked you out. I was able to fight off the guys holding me and drag out you of there. After that, I brought you back to my boat so you could recover from that blow you took to the head. Your friends, unfortunately, I couldn't find when I went back."

"_You_ saved _me_?" Rei asked, not believing most of what he was saying. He nodded in response. "Why?"

He shrugged. "You were the closest to me. And, out of all of them, you were the only one I actually knew."

"Well… Thank you, I guess." Rei said, genuinely thankful for his help. "Well, I better go and try to find my friends. They're probably worried about me." She attempted to push her way past him, but was stopped by two hands that came down on her shoulders. "No, Rei. You can't leave yet." "Namu" said. "You need to rest still. You almost had a concussion earlier. I wouldn't want you to go out there and hurt yourself if I could've done something about it."

"Namu, thank you for your concern. But I'm fine. I-" Rei cut herself off as a sharp pain burst through her head, releasing a sharp cry of pain from her lips. Her hand shot to her head as she suddenly became dizzy. "What's…? What's happening to me?"

"You were hit pretty hard earlier." "Namu" said, fighting not to smirk at her. "Maybe you should go lay down. Drink some water maybe."

"Yeah…" Rei said. She knew that something was very wrong here. She didn't remember somebody hitting her. But she couldn't help but believe him. There was too much physical evidence, and too much of a gut feeling, for her not to. "I'll just go lay down for a bit…. Thank you, Namu. I really appreciate this."

When her back was turned, Malik smirked. "Of course, Rei. It was the least I could do." Once she was back on the bed, he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"So, what do you plan on doing with _her_ Master Malik? We already have all that we need to carry out our plans."

"I don't know, Rishid." Malik admitted, the smirk never leaving his face. "I'll find a use for her. Until then, she's recovering from a little 'head injury' she's suffered." He then started to walk down the hallway, and found his way to the conference room where he regularly held meetings with the other Rare Hunters. "The pharaoh and his little girlfriend should be here any moment. See to it that our guests are waiting for them, Rishid."

Rishid nodded. "Yes sir." And with that, he left.

Malik sat down in his chair, setting the Millennium Rod on the table before him. He could feel his control over Jounouchi and Mako growing stronger, signifying that the two had stopped struggling against his hold. This made him smirk even more, relishing in the fact that they had lost all hope in breaking free from him. It would make his plans flow a lot easier.

A knock at the door disrupted his thoughts. "What?" He snapped, angered at this interruption. A Rare Hunter entered the room hesitantly. "Um, Sir? A Kaiba Corp. helicopter has been spotted coming our way. Our sources confirm that it's the Pharaoh."

Malik's expression softened, breaking into a twisted smile. "Excellent…. Everything is going according to plan." He spun around, seeing that the Hunter was still in the room. "What are you standing around for? Get out of here!"

The Rare Hunter nodded briskly and quickly left, leaving Malik to his own devices.

* * *

><p>Usagi's hands twitched nervously as the helicopter began to touch down. Out her window, she could see two people standing by the docks. Even though she couldn't see them very well from how high up they were, Usagi had a gut feeling that at least one of them was Mako.<p>

As the helicopter finally touched down, and the doors opened, Usagi quickly jumped out and sprinted towards the two figures. As she approached, it was confirmed that it was Mako and Jounouchi.

"Mako!" She cried. "I was so worried about you!" She threw her arms around her friend, embracing her in a tight hug.

Usagi felt Mako tense up at her touch, making her confused. "Mako? What's the matter?"

"Get your hands off of me." Mako growled through clenched teeth.

Usagi's confusion didn't falter. "What? Mako, what's wrong with you? You're acting strange!"

Yami hesitated when he was finally got out of the helicopter. Something in the back of his mind made him feel uncomfortable. There was something about the way Jounouchi was looking at him that didn't sit right with him. His best friend's gaze held a hint of malice behind them. It was almost exactly like the look Malik's minions had given him.

Then it hit him. "Usagi, wait!" He shouted, dashing towards her. "Get away from her, Usagi!"

"What?" Usagi asked, releasing her friend and turning to face Yami. "Why? What's the matter?" Suddenly, a vice like grip latched onto her arm, wrenching it and twisting it behind her back. Usagi cried out in pain, whipping her head back to see that it was Mako that was holding her. "Mako, stop it! You're hurting me!"

"I warned you not to touch me." Mako hissed. It finally registered in Usagi's mind that it wasn't really her friend speaking. "And I'm no longer the Mako you've come to know. But next time I tell you to do something, you better listen. Otherwise, bones will get broken. Understood?"

Usagi nodded, yanking her arm free of Mako's grasp. She held her assaulted arm closely to her chest, cowering away from her friend. Yami came up to her side, gently taking hold of her injured arm. "You alright?" he asked. Usagi simply nodded in response, trying hard not to cry.

Yami's eyes narrowed as his gaze fell upon the two standing before him. "Malik, you've done some despicable things…. But this…. I can't even begin to say how outrageous this is! Let them go, NOW!"

Jounouchi laughed. "You're in no position to make any commands, Pharaoh! You never were."

"I will let them go." Mako added. "But first, how about we try our hands at a little game."

"Two words. Not. Interested." Yami said.

"Well that's just too bad, isn't it?" Another female voice spoke, making her way to the dock. Usagi was almost in tears upon seeing who it was.

"Anzu…" She gasped.

Anzu smirked. "That's right. All three of us are taking orders from Malik now."

"Malik, I'm warning you. Let them go!" Yami growled. "They have nothing to do with this! Why don't you come and face me yourself you _coward!_"

"I'd be careful what you say, Pharaoh." Jounouchi said. "One step out of line, and I could easily kill your friends."

"You wouldn't dare." Yami hissed.

"Wouldn't I?" Mako challenged. "You don't believe me. Very well. Jounouchi? Do me a favor and snap Mako's neck for me."

"No, stop!" Usagi screamed, tears sliding down her face. "Let them go you bastard! They've done nothing to you!"

"Quite true." Anzu stated. "But, unfortunately, you two have. So, my offer still stands for the both of you. How about a little duel? Four on four? You two against Jounouchi and Mako. If you two win, Jounouchi, Mako, and Anzu will be free. If not…. Well, let's just keep that little detail a secret. Shall we?"

Yami turned to Usagi, who was frantically trying to scrub away her tears. He hated that she was being targeted now, all because of him. "I don't know…" He said quietly. "Should we do this?"

"Are you insane!? We have to! Our friends' lives are at stake!" Usagi replied. "Look, I know I'm not the best of duelists, but when it comes to my fiends I will never back down from a challenge! I hate this as much as you do. But do we really have a choice?"

Yami sighed, realizing that she was right. "No, we don't." He then turned back towards Jou and Mako, clenching his fists. "Malik, you want a duel? Well, now you've got one. But know this, we _will_ win and free our friends! This I swear!"

Usagi nodded once, turning around as well. "Malik, I will never forgive you for what you've done to my friends. With the power of my deck and the faith in my cards, I will punish you!"

Yami's gaze fell on her, his features etched with confusion. For some odd reason, that sounded so familiar to him.

Mako smirked, crossing her arms. "Very well. Follow me."

The two led Yami and Usagi to the docks where a giant anchor was suspended in the air by a large rig. At the top of the anchor were a few sticks of dynamite and a timer. This brought no comfort to Usagi's already frazzled nerves.

Anzu stood at the edge of the dock holding two thick metal cuffs connected to two chains that led up to the giant anchor above them. "Before we begin, there are a few… _precautions_ we must take."

A lump formed in Usagi's throat and her eyes immediately shot up to Yami, looking for some source of comfort.

Yami's eyes narrowed. "What's the point of all this, Malik?"

Anzu chuckled. "You'll see, Pharaoh." She then bent down, snapping the cuffs tightly onto one of their ankles.

As Usagi stood on that dock and watched Jounouchi and Mako cuff themselves in, something finally clicked in her mind, realizing what was really going on here.

"Yami…" She whispered. "This duel…. If we lose this… We're going to die…"

Yami's gaze shot up at the anchor, his heart pounding in fear. His eyes widened.

If they lost this duel, that anchor was going to drag the two of them into the ocean.

His gaze shot back down to Jounouchi and Mako, clenching his fists. "Malik, stop this now! I refuse to put any of my friends through this! You want this duel so bad, c-"

"Come out and face me." Mako mimicked. "I've heard you the first three times you've said that. Your words fall on deaf ears, pharaoh. Besides, it's too late to back down now."

"Stop this right now!" A gruff voice shouted, reminding that he'd been there to witness everything. Usagi turned her head, seeing that Kaiba had intervened. This surprised her, and gave her a sense of hope. "This duel is in violation of Battle City rules, and is has too ridiculous of stakes! I demand that you end this and release these duelists, now!"

Jounouchi smirked. "I don't think you want to do that, Kaiba. If you choose to intervene, young Anzu's blood will be on your hands." He pointed over to a crane directly across from him holding up a large crate. Beneath the crate's shadow sat Anzu, strapped down to a chair. "If _anyone_ tries to intervene, that crate will fall and crush Anzu beneath it."

Usagi gasped, her heart slamming against her chest. This was going way too far. She turned back around to face Mako, resisting the ever growing urge to burst into tears like usual. She unzipped her pale blue jacket, revealing her brooch pinned to her yellow tank top. Mako's gaze seemed to soften suddenly, and her eyes widened.

Usagi unclipped the brooch from her shirt, and grasped it tightly in her fingers. She knew she'd be revealing herself to Yami _and_ Jounouchi _and_ Malik, but she didn't care at this point. She was going to save them all.

Slowly, she lifted the small gold disk. Before she could even hold the thing above her head, a cry ripped from Mako's throat.

"DON'T!"

Usagi gasped, the brooch nearly slipping from her fingers. That voice was the voice of her friend. "Mako?" She asked.

"Usagi, don't do it… Please…" Mako begged, struggling to get the words to leave her lips. She could feel the Malik's power pounding at the back of her skull, trying to regain its broken hold over her. "It's not worth it…. We can get through this…. But you won't…. You won't be able to save everyone if…. If you do what you're planning… Just trust me…. Better yet…" A sad smile graced Mako's lips. "Trust yourself…"

A cry of pain escaped Mako's lips, and her head fell to her hands. _"How dare you!" _ A voice growled. _"You little bitch! You defy me again, and I'll blow up the docks and kill every one of your friends. Do you understand me?!"_

"Fight back, Mako!" Usagi cried. "Don't let him control you anymore! You're strong; I know you can do this!"

Mako's will to fight was fueled by Usagi's words. She gritted her teeth, lifted her head up from her hands, and stood up straight once again. "Go to hell, Malik." She spat.

_"I've already been there."_ Was Malik's response.

A short lived sense of pity struck Mako's heart at his words. The reason the feeling was short lived, was because the moment she let her guard down the dark power overtook her mind once again.

As she was consumed by the darkness again, a tear rolled down her cheek. Her gaze drifted back up to Usagi and, with her final free words, she said, "I tried, Usagi….. I'm….. I'm sorry…"

"I know, Mako…. I know."

As the struggle for control came to an end, and the hopeful glow drained from Usagi's eyes, the four friends were trapped in yet another life threatening duel.

But this time, Usagi wasn't so sure that she would make it out alive.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, I intended to make this chapter shorter, but what I ended up writing as the end of this chapter came to mind and I thought to myself, "Ooh! I should totally write this." Plus my little sister said the chapter should be longer. You guys have her to thank for that. So there. You guys get a longer chapter. :) Aaaand, once again I kind of lied. I'll have to end up writing the all important duel next chapter. Sorry!  
>Also, I recently received a review from a user stating that they would like to see some duels so they can get a better idea of the girls' decks. (Sorry that I can't remember your username off the top of my head right now, but you know who you are.) I totally agree with this. I will write some duels later on, not in every chapter of course…. Buuuuut some of them may not involve Mina. But that's something I'll get to in another chapter. That is the only hint I will give you guys! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I hope to hear the usual amazing feedback from you guys. :)<em>**


	14. 13: Through Another

Chapter 13

Through Another's Eyes

**_A/N: I finally hit 100 reviews! I absolutely LOVE you guys! You keep being awesome! _**

"DON'T!"

The scream practically echoed throughout the shipping yard. If anyone were nearby, it would've captured their attention.

But it only needed to capture the attention of one.

Yami had tried desperately to get Jounouchi to break out of his stupor, but it seemed like nothing he said could get through to him.

It practically shocked him when he heard Mako's real voice come through. Both his and Jounouchi's gaze shifted from each other, to the girls.

Yami watched as Mako fought against some force trying to stop her from trying to encourage Usagi. What he found odd out of the ordeal, was a small golden object in Usagi's hand. Whatever Mako's had instructed Usagi not to do, it seemed to revolve around that object.

As Usagi held that object close to her heart, an odd feeling washed over Yami. It seemed… well, familiar to him… Come to think of it, a lot of things about Usagi felt familiar to him. This was something he was used to. But that object seemed to have a strange energy surrounding it as well. If he didn't know any better, he would've thought it was a Millennium Item. But that couldn't be right. Usagi would've told him if she had one….. Right?

As the glimmer of hope left Usagi's eyes, Yami's heart sank. He could see now that Mako's battle had been lost. He couldn't help but have the feeling that that wouldn't be the only thing lost today.

"Enough of your stalling!" Jounouchi piped up. "The clock is ticking here, and I wouldn't be wasting the time you're being given."

Yami stole a glance at Usagi before turning his attention back to Jounouchi. She gave him a quick nod, and lifted up her arm to turn on her duel disk. He followed suit, and turned to face his friends. "Very well, Malik. But Usagi and I will go first."

Jounouchi shrugged, and gestured for him to make his move.

Yami drew his hand, not impressed with what he had so far. But he had to make a move. After his and Usagi's turns, Mako and Jounouchi could attack freely. He had to have some line of defense.

"I place two cards face down, and summon a monster in face down defense mode." Yami announced, carrying out his move. It wasn't the _best_ move he could've made, but it was better than summoning nothing. He nodded to Usagi, indicating her turn.

Usagi drew her next hand, actually pleased with what her deck was giving her. She kept her face blank though, not wanting to give off any ideas.

"I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland in defense mode!" Usagi said while giving a small smile as the warrior appeared before her, kneeling as if standing before a queen. "I will also place two cards face down."

Mako scoffed. "You're going to have to attack sometime, Usagi." She drew her next card, and gave a small smirk. Unlike Usagi, she wasn't one for being discreet. "I play the field spell card Necrovalley! This card allows all of my monsters to gain 500 points to their attack and defense! It also means that nobody can summon from their graveyard. I also summon Gravekeeper's Descendant in attack mode. But, I'll be nice, and end my turn here."

Usagi resisted an urge to smile. _"Thank god for that."_ She thought. Now, all she had to do was wait, and hope that luck would be on her side.

* * *

><p>Everything was dark.<p>

Personally, she hated the dark. It only served as a constant reminder of her one fatal flaw.

But, despite her lack of sight, Shizuka kept a smile on her face and her mind full of positive thoughts.

When she heard the click of the door handle, her heart leapt in her chest. "Jounouchi?" She asked, sitting upright in her hospital bed.

"Not exactly." A female voice said. "But somebody else you know and love is here!"

Shizuka frowned, sifting through her memories to place a face with that voice. She knew that voice better than anybody else.

Then, it hit her.

"Minako, is that you?" She asked, her voice giving away her obvious excitement.

"You betcha!" Mina exclaimed, grinning. "Just rolled into town yesterday!"

Shizuka stumbled to her feet, and felt her way around the room to Mina's location. Once her hand fell on Mina's shoulder, she threw her arms around her cousin's neck. "I can't believe it's you!" She gasped. "You came all the way from Tokyo just to see me?"

"Of course I did!" Mina replied, returning the hug. "Well, actually, I originally came here for the tournament. But when Jounouchi told me you were here for your eye operation, I made it my priority to come see you. I would've come last night, but they wouldn't let us in. Only two people, you know."

Shizuka released her cousin from her grip, and nodded. "I understand, Mina. No harm done. Hey, speaking of Jounouchi, is he here too?"

"No, he got caught up with some duel earlier. But he sent me and Honda to come get you."

"Honda? You mean the guy who was here earlier, right?"

"Yep, that was him." Mina replied. "He's checking you out of the hospital now. Then we can go meet up with Jounouchi and the others."

"Really? That's fantastic!" Shizuka exclaimed. "The doctor said I can take my bandages off in an hour or so. The first thing I want to see is Jounouchi dueling…"

Mina smiled, seeing that the admiration Shizuka had for Jou had not died. Ever since they were kids, the two were inseparable. The divorce had obviously changed that. But it was comforting for Mina to see no change in her younger cousin.

"I promise that will be the first thing you see, Shizuka. He's officially in the finals now, you know. One step closer to winning the whole thing."

"What about you? How close are you?"

"Only two cards away." Mina replied with a smile.

Shizuka continued to express her amazement towards Mina, and began to tell her all about her life after the divorce. She was still the shy, quiet girl Mina had known growing up. But Shizuka had made an attempt to actually make some new friends at her school, and get more involved with school activities.

It warmed Mina's heart to see such a positive change after so much negativity had attacked her cousin's life.

As their conversation came to a close, Honda had entered the room. "Hey Shizuka, guess who!"

"Let me guess. Honda?" The girl asked.

Honda grinned. "Aww, how did you know?" He asked teasingly. "Must've been my smooth, attractive voice, right?"

Mina stifled a giggle, and Shizuka looked as if she was about to explode with laughter. "Sure, Honda. That's exactly what it was." Mina replied.

Honda didn't seem to notice the giggles threatening to escape their lips, and continued to smile. "Well, if you want to go see your brother duel, we should get going now."

Shizuka nodded. "Ok! I'm all dressed and ready to go. I, uh, might need to hold onto someone's hand. Just for a little while." A light shade of pink crossed her cheeks.

Honda took this as his opportunity to make his move. "If you don't mind, Shizuka, I'd be more than happy to fill in that position." He held out his hand for Shizuka to take.

"Actually, I was going to have Mina do it." She replied quietly. "I'm sorry, Honda. But I've known Mina longer. And…. No offence… but I kind of trust her more…."

Honda dropped his hand, and his face flushed with embarrassment. He was thankful that Shizuka couldn't see it. "Oh, sure! I get it. And no offence taken!"

Shizuka smiled. "Thanks for understanding Honda. She turned around, guessing that Mina was behind her. "You ready to go?"

Mina took her cousin's hand. "Yep! Let's blow this popsicle stand." Shizuka giggled at that, and followed behind Mina.

And with that said, the three began their trip back into town.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the other end of the hospital, Ami sat quietly in the waiting room, gathering the hem of her skirt in her hands. She twisted the fabric violently, waiting anxiously to hear some news about Ryou. Sugoroku stood at the front desk, making small talk with one of the nurses.<p>

A doctor finally emerged from Ryou's room removing a pair of rubber gloves. Ami jumped up from her seat, rushing over to the doctor. "Is he ok?" She asked.

The doctor gave a small smile. "He's going to be fine ma'am. I had to give him a blood transfusion and a few stitches for his arm. Lucky for him, his blood type is universal, so it didn't take very long to find him a donor. He should be up and moving again in a few hours. But, just to be safe, we'll be keeping him over night."

Ami released a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Would it be alright if I go see him?"

"Go right ahead. He's resting now, but he's well enough to have visitors."

Ami nodded, and turned to get Sugoroku's attention. She then changed her mind, seeing that he was locked in his conversation with a nurse that looked to be the same age as him. The nurse seemed to giggle, earning a grin from Sugoroku.

Ami smiled and shook her head. She then turned on her heel, and stepped into Ryou's room.

The boy was laying on the bed, hooked up to an IV. His breathing seemed ragged, almost as if he was still in pain. Bloodstains were coating the bandages around his arm, which looked as though they were doing no more help that the strip of t-shirt from before.

Ami approached him slowly and seated herself on his bed by his legs. "How are you feeling, Ryou?"

"Miss Mizuno!" He gasped. "You… You stayed!" His voice sounded weary, which Ami could understand. He'd been through so much.

"Of course I did. I wouldn't leave a friend in your kind of predicament." She replied with a smile. "And I told you, you don't have to be so formal with me. It's just Ami."

"Alright, Ami." Ryou said, giving a small, weak smile.

"You never did answer my question." Ami pointed out quietly.

"Hmm? Oh, right! I'm sorry. I'm feeling ok. A little sore here and there, a little exhausted too. But I'm ok."

"Well, I can understand your pain and exhaustion. You've been through a lot today." Ami said. "To be honest, I was worried sick about you."

An eyebrow rose on Ryou's face. "You were? Why?"

"Well, you were badly injured and all. That's just how I am, I guess. I panic whenever my friends get hurt. And since I want to be a doctor someday, I always want to find a way to fix the problem… I'm sorry. I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"What? No! Of course not!" Ryou said quickly, attempting to sit up. The sudden pain coursing its way up his arm dropped him on his back, releasing a hiss of pain.

"Ryou, are you alright?!" Ami asked, worry more than obvious in her voice.

Ryou nodded, his lips pressed in a tight, thin line. "I'm fine, really. I'm just…. I'm not used to this."

"Being injured in a hospital?"

He shook his head. "… Having someone care."

A pang of regret and sympathy struck Ami's core. She could see it now, right there in his eyes. He'd been through a lot, and she could see that a lot of it wasn't pleasant. "But what about Jounouchi and the others? They seemed to care before."

"That's different." Ryou said, closing his eyes for a moment, letting the horrible memories from the past come to mind. "They wouldn't care if they knew the truth."

Ami's face flushed with embarrassment. She felt as though she was crossing a line here, intruding on something that wasn't to be brought to light. "I… I'm sorry. It's none of my business, really." She stood up, her eyes cast down at the floor. "I'll go. You need to get your rest."

"Ami, wait." Ryou said, gently taking a hold of her wrist. "You don't need to leave. It's my fault, really. I'm just spouting random nonsense."

Ami turned, her gaze falling back on him. She knew it wasn't just "random nonsense" as he had said. But she knew, deep down, he needed this. He needed someone there to stay with him. He needed a friend.

As he'd said, he needed someone that cared.

A small smile graced her lips. "Alright Ryou. I'll stay." She replied, gently pulling her arm from his grasp. "But, If you don't mind, I think I'll go get something to eat real quick. Do you need anything?"

"If you could bring me a water bottle, you'd be a life saver!" Ryou replied, laying back down in his bed. "Please and thank you."

"You got it. Try and rest a bit while I'm gone."

Ryou nodded in response, slowly shutting his suddenly heavy eyelids. Ami then turned on her heel, and began to walk through the door.

Before she even set foot in the hallway, she heard something clatter to the floor behind her. She quickly spun around, thinking that Ryou had dropped something.

What had fallen to the floor was Ryou's blue button up shirt he'd been wearing over his T-Shirt. Shrugging off and dismissing the strange sound, she picked up the shirt to hang it up on the coat rack behind the door.

Another clattering noise filled the room once the shirt was hung up, causing Ami's eyebrows to raise curiously. Her gaze fell back down to the floor, nearly making her jump.

On the floor sat an open pocket knife covered in blood.

And judging by the bloodstains she'd just now noticed on Ryou's jacket, Ami could only assume that it was Ryou's.

_**A/N: Cliff hanger of dooooooom! Yeah, i know I'm going to get murdered for this, but i seriously had to do it! Don't hate me, please!**_


	15. 14: Race Against The Clock

Chapter 14

Race Against The Clock

"Shizuka, whatever you do, hang onto me and don't let go." Mina called over her shoulder as Shizuka trailed behind her. The two were running, attempting to escape some unknown pursuer.

"What's going on, Mina?" The girl asked, her grip on her cousin's arm tightening.

"N-Nothing…" Mina struggled to say. She hated lying, and she hated even more since she was lying to her own family.

Shizuka could hear Mina's hesitation, and felt her pulse increase in speed. She knew her cousin was lying. But, why would Mina lie to her? She _never_ lied! It didn't make any sense!

Shizuka planted her feet to the ground, yanking her arm from Mina's grasp and stopping in the middle of the sidewalk.

"Shizuka! What's the matter with you?! We need to keep going!"

Shizuka crossed her arms. "Why? What's going on that we needed to leave Honda behind? Why do we need to run? I'm not going anywhere until you give me a straight up answer."

Mina groaned, her gaze shooting behind her cousin to make sure they weren't being followed. For now, they weren't. But she could never be too sure.

"Honda had to stay back to deal with some… _issues_." She said finally, reaching to take her cousin's hand again. "He'll be around soon, I promise. But right now, we need to try and find the others."

"Where do you think _you're _going, girlie?" A deep voice asked from behind her. Mina spun around, seeing another group of Rare Hunters surrounding them.

_"Damn it! I was so sure we'd lost them."_ Mina thought solemnly. No one was around to offer any aid, so she would have to fight her way out this eventually.

Reaching behind her, she took a hold of Shizuka's hand, and quickly spun on her heel. To the left of them was an empty alleyway that would lead into a busy street. _"Perfect," _She thought as she started running again. _"There's bound to be people nearby. These Rare Hunters wouldn't attack us if they had an audience."_

"Mina, what's going on? Who was that?" Shizuka asked from behind her.

"Don't worry about that!" Mina panted. "Just keep running! We're almost there!"

What Mina hadn't noticed was a second alleyway branching off from the one they were currently being chased through, and a second group of Hunters were waiting for her there.

When Mina had reached the conjuncture of the two alleyways, a hand came out and snagged onto her hair, yanking her back and tearing a cry from her lips.

Shizuka felt her cousin's hand forcibly leave hers, and she suddenly began to panic. "Mina?! Mina, where are you?!"

"Shizuka, run!" Mina screamed, clawing her nails into the hand of her attacker. "Go straight from where you are! Get out of here!"

"She's not going anywhere." A male voice responded. The owner of the voice reached out and grabbed onto Shizuka's arm and twisted it behind her back. "You two are coming with us. There's someone you need to meet."

"Let go of me!" Shizuka cried, stopping her foot down on her attacker's, and slamming her free fist into his leg. "We're not going anywhere with you."

"Master Malik wasn't kidding when he said these girls would put up a fight, huh?" The man holding Mina said, pulling her against his chest and trapping her arms to her sides. She continued to thrash in his grip, though. She wasn't giving up here.

"Hey, Freak Squad!" A voice taunted from ahead. Mina's head whipped around, seeing two figures standing in the alleyway. "A real gentleman wouldn't be holding such lovely ladies like that."

"Yeah, what he said!" A second voice piped up, which the girls instantly recognized as Honda. "So, how about you let them go? Then, my friend and I won't have to beat the ever living crap out of you."

With this sudden distraction, Mina had her chance to attack. She quickly whipped her head back, slamming it into the face of the Rare Hunter. She felt blood splatter on the back of her neck, revealing that she'd gotten the results she was looking for.

The Hunter released her, his hands flying to his face to stop the blood flow from his now broken nose. "Little bitch!" he hissed. "Get her!"

It was then, with a cry that would rival even the most famous battle cries of history, the two teenaged boys charged at the Rare Hunters. Shizuka finally managed pulled herself free from her captors grasp, and franticly searched for Mina's hand. Mina reached out, latching onto her cousin's hand once again, and pulled her away from the fray.

"Hold onto me, Shizuka." Mina said, glancing behind her to see that Honda and his friend had managed to get force the Rare Hunters to the ground, and had one pinned to the wall.

"Why the hell are you chasing us," Honda growled, his grip on the man against the wall tightening slightly.

The Hunter winced, looking hesitant to answer. "W-We… We were ordered to."

"By who?" Honda asked.

"M-Malik. Our leader. He wanted us to capture the sister of Katsuya Jounouchi, and anybody else that would get in our way. H-He wanted to use them as leverage in case someone tried to stop the duel."

"What duel?" The man hesitated to answer again, forcing Honda to pull him forward and slam him into the wall again. "WHAT DUEL?!"

"Down at the shipping yard!" The Hunter squeaked. "It's a four way duel between him, Yugi Motou, and two girls. I don't know their names, but one of them was really tall and had brown hair. The other one had really long, blonde pigtails. I don't know if that's worth anything to you, but it's all I know. I swear."

Mina's eyes widened upon hearing the description of the girls, knowing instantly that it had to be Mako and Usagi. Honda gave a sidelong glance at Mina, his eyes seeming to ask her if this was enough information. She simply nodded, and Honda smirked.

His gaze shifted back to the Rare Hunter. "Thank you." He said, his grip on the man's collar relaxing. The man released a sigh of relief, and found himself relaxing.

That was a mistake. With a quick jerk of his arm, Honda delivered a swift punch to the man's face, rendering him unconscious. "That should at least deal with one of our problems."

"Am I the only one that was a bit disturbed by that comment about the duel, though?" Honda's friend, who had rendered the Hunter's he'd had pinned unconscious as well.

"What, is the famous Ryuji Otogi getting scared now?" Honda taunted.

"Wait," Mina interrupted. "Ryuji Otogi? As in, the Ryuji Otogi that created Dungeon Dice Monsters?"

Otogi smirked, tossing back strands of his dark hair. "I see my reputation precedes me." He strutted his way towards Mina, taking a hold of her free hand. "And who might you be, my fair lady?" He asked, lifting her hand to his lips.

To this, Mina released a short chuckle. One that said, 'you're in for disappointment'.

"Out of your league." She said, whipping her hand out of his grip. "I don't go for pretty boys."

Honda stifled a laugh, to which Otogi glared in response to.

"Um, guys," Shizuka finally piped. "I'd just like to say that, I was also bothered by the duel comment. Why would this Malik guy need me for leverage if Jounouchi wasn't in danger?"

There was a sudden silence as realization finally settled in.

"She's right." Mina finally said. "We need to get to the pier, and fast." She spun on her heel, and began to run across the street with Shizuka, Honda and Otogi in tow.

A sudden blaring of a car horn stopped Mina in the middle of the road. She threw Shizuka behind her, creating a shield for the blind girl in case something went wrong.

The driver stopped her car just a few feet in front of Mina.

"What the hell is the matter with you?!" A female voice shouted. "Didn't you see the red light?! I could've killed you!"

Mina's eyes widened and her gaze shifted towards the driver of a light purple convertible. "Mai!"

Mai blinked a few times, making sure she was seeing the right person. "Mina? What are you doing? Why on earth did you run out into the middle of the road?!"

Mina quickly explained to her of their encounter with the Rare Hunters and their speculations that Jounouchi and the others might be in danger.

Jounouchi's name was all she needed to hear. "Mina, Shizuka, Honda, hop in the back. Otogi, jump up front with me. Buckle your seatbelts, and hold on tight." She shifted her car back into drive, and waited for her new passengers. Once everyone was buckled in, she slammed down on the gas and tore down the road.

All the while, Mai prayed that they weren't too late.

* * *

><p><em>"Yugi, no! Don't do it!"<em>

_"I have to, Jounouchi. If this duel has to take a life, then let it be mine. You have the chance to escape, so take it. Usagi, you and Mako do the same thing."_

_"Yugi, stop!" Usagi shouted. "I can't let you do this!"_

_"There's no other way… I choose to attack myself."_

_"NO!" Mako screamed._

_"Yugi!"_

_There was a sudden explosion, and three boxes opened at the feet of Usagi, Mako, and Jounouchi. Quickly, the three snatched up their keys._

_But not fast enough. Another explosion sounded, and sounds of screams and heavy splashes filled the air._

_Rei felt as if she was drowning, her last few bubbles of precious oxygen escaping her lips. She couldn't escape. She was trapped in those black waters, with no hope of surviving._

_With all of the energy and air she had left, she released a scream._

With a shout, Rei shot up from her vision induced slumber. Sweat clung to her forehead, and her breath escaped her lungs in sporadic heaves.

They were in trouble. She knew this.

And here she was, lounging in some opulent room on a stranger's boat.

A sudden feeling of shame washed over her. What would her friends think of her?

"I need to go help them." She concluded aloud, slowly rising to her feet. "I have to…. I've got to…." Suddenly, her knees gave out beneath her, causing her to collapse to the floor. The pain crawling through her head returned, making her trip back to her feet all the more difficult.

Despite this, she fought back against the pain, working her way back towards the door. She was getting off of this boat; even in her headache was going to kill her over it.

Once she'd made her way out the door and into the hallway, which was completely empty, the pounding became less intense, making the walk a bit easier.

Finally, after what had seemed like forever, she finally made her way off of the boat and onto the boardwalk that led to the docks. In her vision was correct, the duel wouldn't be too far away.

And correct it was. After another ten minutes of walking, Rei had finally reached the docks that held the duel between her friends.

Suddenly, an explosion sounded, shaking the ground beneath her feet and sending her to her feet. Rei could only watch in horror as scenes from her vision unfolded before her very eyes.

The anchor holding her friends' fates plummeted into the ocean, dragging to four duelists with it.

"NO!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. Her hands dropped to the ground as her body shook with sobs. "I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry…"

She could've prevented it. If she'd been faster, she could've done something about it.

In the end, she just hadn't been fast enough.

* * *

><p>There are only a few things that can break the control of Malik Ishtar. One of them is if he allows his control to be broken. This had happened to Anzu only moments after the duel had started. The second, and this was a rare exception, was in the will of the victim was strong enough to break it. But that almost never happened.<p>

Almost.

The battle between Yami, Usagi, Jounouchi and Mako had dragged on for what seemed like forever. During this time span, Usagi had surprised everyone by keeping a large portion of her life points intact, and actually managing to put a dent in both Jounouchi's and Mako's.

Yami hadn't been so lucky. Unfortunately, he'd been Mako and Jounouchi's target of choice. With their decks loaded with special magic cards given to them by Malik, they laid waste to Yami's life points.

One card, Hinotama, had ravaged Yami's life points, forcing a furious Yugi to emerge and take control. At first, Jounouchi seemed a bit hesitant to continue, but, unfortunately, he continued.

What had led to Malik finally losing control, was because of Mako.

Towards the last two minutes on the anchor's timer, Mako had drawn one card. One card was all she needed.

Once her gaze fell on the card, memories began to flood into her mind.

_"There you are, Jounouchi. One Red Eyes, as promised."_

She held the card up to the light, blinking a few times to make sure what she was seeing was correct.

_"Mako, you keep it."_

_"W-what? Why?"_

A sudden pounding formed in her head, causing her to bring her hand up to attempt to consol it.

_"… I don't think I'm going to make it that far in this tournament, but you… You definitely will."_

A groan escaped her lips. The pain became so intense that she'd ended up bent over. All eyes fell on her at this point.

_" You're my friend Mako, and I want you to hang onto that card as a symbol of that."_

The same memory came across Jounouchi's mind, causing his eyes to widen.

_"Thank you, Jounouchi. I'll take good care of it. I promise."_

"J-Jounouchi…" The name escaped her lips like a heavy weight. The impact of her sudden freedom struck Jounouchi himself, causing him to chip away at Malik's control little by little.

_"What are you doing!" _A voice growled from the back of her mind._"I command you to stop what you're doing this instant! Destroy the Pharaoh!"_

"No… I… I can't."

"Mako?" Usagi asked, nearly bringing herself to tears. "Mako, is that you?"

"I think it is!" Yugi exclaimed. "And look! Jounouchi is coming back too!"

_"No, stop! Both of you, obey me! Destroy them both!"_

"But… They're my friends…" Jounouchi mumbled.

"Come on, you guys!" Anzu piped up, having been silent for most of the duel. "You can do it! You can fight it!"

_"I. Command. You!"_

"No… You… DON'T!" The final word tore from Mako's throat with a violent scream, finally breaking herself free from Malik's grasp.

"You did it!" Yugi cried, jumping up into the air, and shooting his fist up. "Come on, Jounouchi! You can do it too."

"Yugi…. I…. I…" An agonizing cry tore from Jounouchi's lips, forcing him to double over in pain.

"Jounouchi!" Mako shouted, running to his aid. "Jounouchi, listen to me! You've got to fight him. Focus on my words. Don't let him-."

"Shut up!" Jounouchi growled, his voice still not sounding like his own. In retaliation to Mako's encouragement, he smacked the back of his hand across her face. The force from the blow sent Mako crashing to the wooden floor of the dock.

"Guys!" Another voice cried.

All eyes turned towards the shipping yard, where Mina and the others stood, watching.

_"Ignore them, you fool! Activate your magic card and end this duel."_

With Malik back in full control of Jou, all he could do was comply. "Yes, Master Malik."

"Jounouchi, stop!" Mina screamed, preparing to charge forward to stop her cousin. An arm came out in front of her to stop her.

"Don't." The owner of the arm was none other than Seto Kaiba.

"If you interfere, Anzu will be crushed!" Mokuba explained.

Mina's heart dropped upon hearing this. Her mind began to race, attempting to figure out what to do.

Usagi's own heart had left the building once Jounouchi had lost his fight. All she could do now was wait for the final strike, and pray that her death came fast.

All the while, both she and Anzu found themselves praying for one thing.

They prayed that someone, anyone, would come and save them.

But Jounouchi's next words had crushed all hopes of a savior.

"I activate another Hinotama!" He announced. "Prepare to feel the wrath of the fires of hell, Yugi!"

"NO!" The scream had escaped almost everybody's lips at that point.

Jounouchi's smirked, his gaze falling on his victim one last time.

Yugi closed his eyes, accepting of his fate. "Go ahead, Jounouchi." He said finally. "Attack me."

Suddenly, a powerful force expelled all of the darkness clouding Jounouchi's mind. The sudden realization of what he'd just done had been enough to finally set him free.

"Wait, stop!" Jounouchi called out, ripping the spell card from his Duel Disk. "Cancel attack! Anybody, do something!"

"No." Yugi replied. "Jounouchi, it's ok." A gasp escaped Mako and Usagi's lips in response. A harsh silence settled across the yard, and everyone held their breath.

The spell card activated, preparing a blazing storm to rain down on Yugi.

Before the fire could even touch him, Yugi's hand slipped to his Duel Disk, flipping over his face down card everyone had forgotten he'd had.

"I activate the spell card, Mystical Rift Panel!"

The field shimmered, and the image of a naked fairy holding a mirror appeared before Yugi.

"The card allows me to redirect your attack and hit anyone I choose…" He paused for a moment, be everyone knew who his target would be.

"Yugi, no! Don't do it!"

"I have to, Jounouchi. If this duel has to take a life, then let it be mine. You have the chance to escape, so take it. Usagi, you and Mako do the same thing."

"Yugi, stop!" Usagi shouted. "I can't let you do this!"

"There's no other way… I choose to attack myself."

"NO!" Mako screamed.

"Yugi!"

There was a sudden explosion from the spell card, and Yugi's life points had decreased to nothingness. Three boxes opened at the feet of Usagi, Mako, and Jounouchi. Quickly, the three snatched up their keys.

Another explosion sounded, the dynamite holding the anchor had blown up.

Mina shoved her way past Kaiba, screaming out Jou's name and stretching out her hand to grab onto him. But she'd been a few moments too late. He'd slipped out of her grasp by an inch.

In one last attempt to save themselves, Mako, Usagi, and Jounouchi all took one last breath of air before plummeting into the dark waters below them.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I'm probably going to get some angry reviews because of this, but that is the end of the chapter. But, have no fear! After finals this week, I shall update as soon as possible! This chapter was a pain for me to write because I couldn't remember fully how exactly this episode went. But I found the summary on the Yu-Gi-Oh Wiki, and now I can continue onto the finals! The next chapter will finish off this duel's story arch, and then we get to see something I've wanted to write for, like, ever! A little hint to those that are curious: it involves Ami, a secret is revealed, one of the scouts won't be moving on to the finals, and one scout will never be the same again.  
>But, that is the only hint you get!<em>**

**_I also want to thank you all for all of your kind reviews and feedback, as usual. This story would never have made it without you guys._**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_**

**_~ Rowan Cousland  
><em>**


	16. 15: Fallen Grace

Chapter 15  
>Fallen Grace<p>

Anzu released an anguished cry as she watched her friends be pulled under by the anchor. The voices of the rest of the gang had joined in, creating a chorus of agony.

The Rare Hunter guarding Anzu gave a small, satisfied smirk. "Don't worry, Girlie. You'll be joining them soon."

From his coat pocket, the Hunter produced a remote control. Anzu's gaze shifted above her, remembering the crate looming overhead.

So, she was to die here as well.

Figures.

Suddenly, a sharp cry escaped the Hunter's lips as the remote slipped from his hands and shattered on the pavement below him. A deep cut and a large bruise appeared across his hand, making Anzu's spirit's lift. Had Tuxedo Mask come to her rescue again? Were they really going to meet again like they had promised?

Anzu's gaze shifted to her right, expecting to see another rose on the pavement. To her surprise, she saw a short black staff embedded neatly in a crack in the pavement. There was a flicker of movement caught in Anzu's peripheral, and her eyes snapped towards the crate above her. There was a small snapping noise, and the sound of sporadic beeps. The beeping then died down.

Then, a black figure jumped down from the crate and landed on top of the Rare Hunter, pinning him to the ground.

Anzu didn't even need to see the face of the figure to know who it was.

"Tuxedo Mask!" She gasped.

Upon hearing this, Mina and Rei had also gasped. What was _he_, of all people, doing _here_?

Tuxedo Mask glanced over his shoulder at the girls, motioning with his head towards the water. "Save them!" He shouted. "It's safe to interfere now!"

He then turned his attention back towards the Rare Hunter, how had been knocked unconscious from the force of the drop. Shrugging, Tuxedo Mask lifted himself off of the ground, retrieved his staff, and turned his attention back to Anzu.

"I must say, young lady, you are quite a trouble maker." He said as he knelt down to undo the straps holding Anzu to the chair. "And I thought I'd left all of the trouble makers back in Tokyo."

"How… How did you know I was here?" Anzu asked. "How did you know we needed help?"

A small smirk formed on his lips. "That is for me to know, and for you to, hopefully, find out."

* * *

><p>Usagi kept a firm hold on her key as they drifted farther into the water, and, at the same time, attempted to keep the oxygen in her lungs from leaving her. To her left she could see Yugi's now unconscious form completely at the mercy of the anchor's weight.<p>

Previous thoughts of accepting her fate had suddenly left Usagi's mind. These thoughts were then replaced with the hope that she could at least help everyone else escape. The key in hand had to work for all the cuffs. It just had to.

Apparently, Jounouchi had the same idea. With his key, he swam over to Yugi and freed him from his cuff. Jounouchi gave a small smile as he watched his friend drift towards the surface.

Usagi then reached down towards her own cuff to free herself. But, in a fit of clumsiness, the key fumbled in her fingers and out of her hand. The key then sank to the ocean floor, stealing away her hopes with it.

Suddenly, she heard a muffled clicking noise, and the weight on her ankle vanished all together. Her eyes snapped downwards, seeing that it was Mako who had freed her, and was now holding the key out for her to take.

Usagi took it, and swam down, against the current, and attempted to free Mako as well.

Mako shook her head, pushing her friend's hand away. With a small, sad smile, she grabbed onto Usagi's arm and pulled her up, causing her to float back towards the surface.

Usagi tried to swim back down to her friend's aid, but the current was to strong, and had officially separated her from her doomed friends.

"Mako!" Usagi cried out, her words muffled and guttural due to the water filling her open mouth. But it was too late. She felt two sets of arms grabbing onto hers and pulling her from the water.

She struggled against their hold on her, even though, she knew very well that they were only trying to help her. Despite her thrashing, she was pulled out of the water and brought back onto the docks.

"Usagi, relax!" Honda said, releasing her arm.

"It's just us!" Anzu added, revealing that she had also pulled Usagi out. "You're safe now."

"No! Mako and Jounouchi are still down there. I have to… I need to save them."

"Jounouchi!" Shizuka gasped. Frantically, she searched her mind for solutions to this problem. She could take off her bandages now, and attempt to help. But were her eyes even ready?

No… The real question was: Was _she_ ready?

Ever since she'd woken up with the bandages over her eyes, she'd dreaded the thought of removing them. What if the surgery didn't work? What if she was blind forever? What if she didn't like what she saw?

_You'll never know unless you try._ The familiar phrase uttered by Jounouchi and Mina constantly throughout her childhood rang in her mind.

"They were right." She realized, her hand traveling up to her bandages. Digging her fingers beneath the cloth, and with one swift motion, the bandages tore away from her face and were tossed into the air.

Everything was blurry at first, as if someone had splashed water in her face. But, after her eyes took a moment to adjust, everything came into focus. Colors were brighter to her than ever before. For the first time in years, Shizuka could finally see Mina's golden blonde hair that she'd been envious of as a child.

Another thing she saw was something that everyone else had overlooked. After the anchor had dropped, Yugi's box had opened as well.

Shizuka took a deep breath, and sprinted towards the box.

"Shizuka! What are you doing?!" Mina shouted. But Shizuka ignored her. She only stopped once to retrieve the spare key from the box, and then dove into the water.

* * *

><p>Jounouchi knew in the back of his mind that he was going to die.<p>

He was accepting of this. It was what he deserved for not being strong enough to stop Malik's mind control.

He just wished that Mako hadn't been dragged into this situation with him. She didn't deserve this.

He immediately regretted dropping his own key. He was so wrapped up in his self-righteous sacrifice, he hadn't even thought about freeing Mako. He figured that she would save herself and leave him behind.

He should've known better. She was better than that.

Thinking of this as their final moments, Jounouchi reached out and took Mako's hand in his. If they were going to die, at least they had each other.

_"I'm sorry, Mako."_ He thought, thinking this was the best time to repent for his mistakes. _"I'm sorry Shizuka, and Mina. I'm sorry everyone…."_

He closed his eyes, expecting for the end to finally near as he released what little air was left in his lungs.

But, the end never came.

Suddenly, all the pressure that was on his ankle was gone. He then felt a slender arm hook around his chest, and pull him and Mako back towards the surface.

Once his face had finally breached the water, Jounouchi took a deep breath of the sweet, sweet air.

"Jounouchi!" A chorus of voices greeted him, each one lending a hand to pull him out of the water back to safety. He found himself shivering once back on land, earning him Usagi's and Yugi's jackets draped over his shoulders.

He was then greeted with Shizuka's arms being thrown around his neck, and crushing him in a death grip. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Shizuka… You… You took off your bandages!" Jounouchi realized.

Shizuka smiled, finally laying her eyes on the face of her brother for the first time in years. She answered him with a nod, and quickly returned to hugging him.

Mina smiled, her attention turning to Mako. "Hey, Mako? How are yo-." She paused, releasing a sharp gasp. "Guys!" She slid down to her knees, kneeling next to her still unconscious friend. "Guys, she's not breathing!"

Jounouchi immediately jumped to his feet, throwing the jackets from his shoulders and practically sprinting to Mako's side. "What? What do you mean she's not breathing?!"

"It's just that!" Mina cried, panic-stricken. In her panic, she shook Mako's shoulders, thinking that she was just unconscious and that the shock would awaken her. Upon receiving no response, she said, "Oh my god! Does anybody know CPR?"

Not waiting for anyone to respond, Jounouchi's mind immediately went back to health class. Coincidentally, CPR had been one of the few class units he'd paid attention to.

He tipped Mako's head back, to allow room for air flow. He then pinched her nose, praying to god that this would work, and that Mako would forgive him for this. He knew that she would find this uncomfortable when she woke up, but still, at least she'll have woken up.

Taking a deep breath, Jounouchi placed his lips over hers, blowing quick, shallow breaths into her airways. He then listened against her chest, hoping to hear some sound of breathing.

He was granted a gut wrenching silence as a response.

He repeated the procedure a few more times. Usagi squeezed her eyes shut, and clenched her fists at her side. Rei's hands were clasped in front of her face in prayer, begging for Mako to survive. Mina's hand stayed firmly shut around Mako's, not ready to leave her side anytime soon.

Yami, who had returned Yugi's body, wrapped an arm around Usagi's shoulders in an attempt to comfort her in case anything went wrong. Anzu, Mai, and Shizuka all took a hold of each other's hands, sending out their thoughts and prayers as well.

Lurking in the shadows, Tuxedo Mask stood, leaning against one of the walls. He kept silent, making sure to make it look like he'd left a long time ago. Secretly, he also prayed for the girl's safety

Jounouchi found himself repeating his procedure multiple times, and it looked as though all hope was lost at this point. Tears formed at the corner of his eyes, and he fought back the urge to burst into sobs. "Please." He whispered. "Please… Please live." He repeated the procedure again, and again. "Mako, don't you dare die on me…." Again. "I still owe you for all the times you've saved my ass. Please…." Again. "Damn it, wake up!" his voice cracked, the repressed sobs forming a lump in his throat. "Please…. Please…."

Usagi threw herself onto the ground; her body shaking with her own built up sobs. "Mako….. Please! You've got to wake up! You have to! Don't leave us, Mako! Please!"

"I don't understand…." Rei murmured, tears sliding down her face.. "I should've seen this coming…. Why didn't I see this coming?"

"Mako, wake up!" Mina cried, her grip on Mako's hand tightening. "You're going to get up, and you're going to drag your ass to the Battle City Finals. You're going to defeat everyone, and you're going to win. Just like you wanted. But you have to get up!"

Gathering up one last breath of air, Jounouchi tried one last time. He then placed his ear against her chest, praying, no, begging, god to spare her life.

"Please…." He whispered one last time. "Please."

Suddenly, a sharp, strangled gasp escaped Mako's lips, and a fit of coughs shook throughout her body, expelling her lungs of sea water.

Suddenly, just as Mako had caught her breath, it was taken away from her again. She soon found herself tackled into a tight group hug (excluding the Kaiba brothers of course). Each one of them thanking god that she was alive.

Once she was free from her friends' vice-like grips, Mako picked herself off of the ground and approached Jounouchi.

"It looks like we're even now, Jou." She said with a smile.

Jounouchi gave his own nervous smile in response. "Yeah. I guess we are."

"Katsuya Jounouchi!" A bitter female voice tore the teens' attentions away from each other.

A sharp slap was delivered to Jounouchi's face. "Don't you ever, EVER, scare me like that again! I about had a heart attack because of you, you Numbskull!"

"Ease up, Mai!" Mako snapped, stepping between her and Jounouchi. "He almost died today. Give him a break."

"I was!" Mai insisted. "That was me going easy on him. He scared the crap out of me!"

"Mai, I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry to everyone. I know I gave everyone a scare, but I can honestly say that it wasn't supposed to be this way."

"Jounouchi, don't worry about it." Yami said. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yeah!" Anzu piped up in agreement. "There's no way any of us could've predicted this."

"What matters now," Shizuka added. "Is that everyone in safe."

With a rather loud clearing of his throat, the spotlight turned to Kaiba. "Well, if you nerds are done with your love fest, don't forget that you all still have a tournament to participate in. As you should all remember, your locator cards and Duel Disk will all serve as a map, guiding your way to the finals.

Yami nodded in response. "Don't you worry, Kaiba. We'll be there."

Kaiba smirked. "Of that I have no doubt, Yugi." With that, he and Mokuba departed.

As the sun slowly began to set, Mina suddenly noticed a missing member of the group. "Honda! We left Ami at the hospital!

"What?" Honda asked, thinking back to when they were back at the hospital. Had they even seen her there? Was it ever established that they were supposed to pick her up? He scratched his head, suddenly embarrassed. "Oh yeah. I guess we did."

Mina sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh for god's sake. I'll go get her."

"Do you want someone to go with you?" Rei asked.

Mina merely shook her head in response. "Don't worry about me. It's not that far from here. Besides, I still need to pick up some locator cards before I can join you guys." She smiled, giving everyone a small wink. "I'll be fine. You guys just focus on figuring out where the finals are, alright?"

"Be careful, Mina." Usagi called as she watched her friend leave, suddenly feeling her stomach twist into knots. Something didn't feel right about this.

"I will!" Mina called back, breaking off into a sprint. Unlike her friend, no negative thoughts clouded her mind. With a wide grin on her face, she kept her positive attitude as she continued her trek towards the hospital.

By the time she'd made it back towards the town, the sun had set completely, and all of the street lamps had finally turned on. Mina had passed a few duelists along the way, but picking up Ami was her main priority at the moment.

Suddenly, just as Mina had rounded the corner, something snatched onto her arm, and pulled her into the alleyway.

"Hey! What's the bi ide-?" She was cut off suddenly, feeling something press against her throat.

"One word, and I slit your throat." A voice hissed.

Mina froze completely, terror striking her core. This man meant business, and god only knew had he wanted.

"Just do as I say, and it will all be over." The voice said. "Lift up your right arm."

Mina's gaze shifted to the arm that he was referring to. That was the arm her Duel Disk resided on. Hesitantly, she complied.

"Good. Now, take the Disk off."

Mina's hands trembled in fear as she did what he asked. But, as she thought about it, this all felt stupid to her. Was this all he wanted.

"Now, give it to me."

Mina did so, not hesitating at all. The knife was removed from Mina's neck as the sound of shuffling cards filled the air.

A dark chuckle followed after it. "You call this a deck? Really? I'm surprised you even have the locator cards that you have. But, beggars can't be choosers, I suppose." The man threw Mina's deck to the ground, her cards scattering across the pavement.

"Thank you, my dear. You have provided me with the key to my victory. Take heart in the fact that I am sparing your life tonight." The voice was suddenly closer to her ear, forcing shivers to travel down her back. "But, you tell anyone of this encounter, and I might reconsider."

Mina turned around swiftly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her mysterious attacker.

But, to her dismay, she could only see one thing amongst the darkness.

A pair of blood red eyes.

The sound of a deep laughter filled the air, and the man turned away from the scene.

Mina turned away as well, running away from the scene as fast as she could.

When she finally couldn't run anymore, Mina threw herself down onto a bus stop bench, allowing her mind to wrap around what had just happened.

All the while, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get those eyes out of her mind.

* * *

><p><em>Darkness surrounded her, blinding her from seeing whatever scenery lay before her. Screams echoed throughout the darkness, sending chills down her spine and causing goose bumps to rise on her arms. She called out for someone, anyone, to respond to her. <em>

_ A female voice rose above the mysterious screams, sounding as if she were crying._

_ "Please…. Please stop…. I don't want to fight you anymore…. Please… You're my friend… Don't do this to me….. No…. NO!"_

Ami cried out, forcing herself out of her deep sleep. Her chest was heaving as she attempted to regain her thoughts back into reality.

"It's just a dream…." Ami whispered to herself. "Relax, Ami. It was just a dream."

She released a sigh, and straightened her posture in the fake leather chair she was sitting in. She had dosed off in Ryou's room just a few hours ago, and it surprised her to see that the sun was now completely set.

"The girls must be worried about me." Ami concluded aloud. She reached down to her feet, grabbing for her purse. "I should probably…." She paused, noticing something peculiar in the room.

She got up from her chair, noticing that Ryou's bed was completely empty.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

Laying face down on the floor, only a few feet away from the bed, was Sugoroku.

Ami gasped, quickly kneeling to the floor and turning the old man onto his back. "Mr. Motou?" She asked, shaking his shoulders slightly. "Mr. Motou?!"

He was still breathing, thankfully. So Ami knew that there wasn't any serious damage done to him. He looked as though he was trapped in a deep sleep. Seeing no other option at this point, Ami slowly drug Sugoroku towards the chair she'd just been sleeping in, and left him leaning against it.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Motou." She said. "I'll go see if I can find a Doctor. Hopefully I can find Ryou too."

With that said, she grabbed her purse and quickly stepped out into the hallway.

Ami shivered slightly upon seeing the scene before her. All of the lights were off, and there was only one nurse at the nurses' station. She was passed out at her desk, looking to be in the same state as Sugoroku.

Ami quickly made her way over to the elevator, jabbing her finger into the button rapidly. Once the doors finally opened, Ami took the elevator down to the first floor.

Once Ami was outside, she quickly began to look around.

To the left of her were a few teenagers. Seeing this as her only source of information, she casually walked over to them.

"Excuse me." She asked, gaining their attention. "Have you seen a boy pass by here recently? White hair, blue and white shirt, had a bandage wrapped around his arm?"

One of the boys' eyes widened. "Yeah, we've seen him. He nearly beat the crap out of me trying to find some Duelists."

"Duelists?" Ami repeated, slightly confused. Why would Ryou pull himself out of a hospital bed just to play a stupid card game? More importantly, why would he try to beat someone up over it? It didn't make any sense.

"Yeah, I pointed him towards the cemetery. I heard that duels have been going on there all night. It's just past the park. You can't miss it."

"Thank you." Ami said. "And I'm sorry about his behavior. I can honestly say that he hasn't acted like this before, as far as I know."

The teen merely shrugged in response. "Don't worry about it. Just make sure he gets some help or something. His arm looked pretty tore up."

Upon hearing this, Ami quickly turned on her heel and began sprinting down the road. In no time, she found the cemetery in question.

And the moment she laid eyes on it, the shivers returned.

She wasn't scared, the atmosphere of the area just felt… off. Like some sinister force was at work.

_"That's stupid, Ami."_ She thought to herself. _"It's just a graveyard. There's nothing to be afraid of."_

Then why couldn't she shake the feeling that there was something to be afraid of?

As she walked through the cemetery, a sudden thick fog settled throughout the area. Ami didn't find the odd at first, but that sinister feeling never left her mind.

Suddenly, Ami caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She spun around, but saw nothing. At first, she thought she was just seeing things. But she continued to see it again, and again. Her pace quickened until she was almost at a jog.

She suddenly felt something latch onto her leg, causing her to fall to the pavement. Her leg suddenly felt numb, and that numbness began to crawl up both of her legs now.

Ami quickly rolled over onto her back to see a dark mass slowly making its way up her body. Using all of her strength, she fought back against the numbness in her legs, and kicked wildly at the mass. She released a scream, hoping somebody nearby could hear her.

With one last kick, the mass finally released her. With her newfound freedom, Ami scrambled back to her feet and continued to run in the direction she was headed.

After a short time, Ami finally found what she was looking for.

Standing at a crossroads in the cemetery were Ryou and three boys. The boys seemed to be cowering in fear at him, and at this "Ryou" merely laughed.

The laugh didn't seem right, though. It was almost as if it wasn't Ryou at all.

"Now, you fools will see what true darkness is."

Ami's eyes widened. She definitely knew that wasn't Ryou's voice. And something in her gut told her to hide from it. Using a nearby tree as her cover, she could only watch the scenes before her unfolded.

Soon, more than a dozen or so of those black masses appeared, surrounding the three boys. They began to latch onto them, almost as if consuming them. The struggled, kicked, and cried out for help, but Ryou merely continued to laugh.

Soon, there was nothing left of the boys except for a Duel Disk that clattered to the ground. Ryou strolled over to the disk, and retrieved two locator cards. He could finally move on to the finals.

Suddenly, he felt a presence lingering amongst the shadows. A twisted smirk played on his lips.

"Well, well, well. It looks as though we have an audience."

Ami gave a small gasp. He knew that she was here. She knew that now would've been a good time to run, but her legs simply wouldn't listen.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Ami's legs seemed to move on their own. Slowly, she stepped out from behind the tree and found herself standing before "Ryou". Just by looking at him, she knew that this… _thing_ was something else entirely. To add to her theory, the man standing before her had eyes that reminded her of the color of blood, and held a glint of malice in them.

"W-Who are you?" Ami asked, she fear more than obvious in her voice. "What did you do to Ryou?"

The man's smirk never faltered. "So, you're that little friend of Ryou's that's been giving him that new sense of hope. I would say that I'm impressed, but I'd be lying then." His hand lifted up, and touched her cheek. Ami wanted more than anything to smack that hand away.

"Which makes things easier for me." The man continued. "I'm afraid you've seen too much, and I'm going to have to dispose of you."

Ami's eyes widened once again as something beneath Ryou's shirt began to glow. "Wait!" She cried suddenly, hoping to reason with the man before her. "Wait, stop! I promise I won't tell anybody. Just please… don't!"

Suddenly, a golden, ring-like necklace appeared around Ryou's neck. There were five pointers on the necklace, and all of them were pointed at Ami.

The next few moments were agonizing for Ami. She felt as though her body was being ripped apart from the inside out. The object glowed brighter as each moment passed, and the pain increased along with it.

With one last cry, Ami's soul left her body.

Her body collapsed to the ground, leaving a satisfied spirit standing before it. His laughed picked back up again as he absorbed the strength for this new soul. This felt absolutely wonderful to him.

Suddenly, he took noticed of something that had landed at his feet shortly after the girl did. A light blue crystal, about the size and shape of a Ping-Pong ball rolled across the ground.

Curious, he knelt down to pick it up. The crystal had a soft glow about it, and felt warm in his hands. Shrugging simply, he decided to pocket the crystal. No use leaving it in the middle of a cemetery, right?

As he turned away to begin his walk out of the cemetery, the same presence he'd felt when that girl was around returned. Finding this odd, he turned around once more.

He was greeted with a smirking face he hadn't seen for 5,000 years.

"The Seal of Mercury has been broken." A female voice spoke. "You have freed me, and I am now yours to control." The woman got down on one knee, crossing once arm over her chest. "Master."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Aaaaaand that's the end of that! I know I probably left more questions than answers, but all will make sense as time goes by. So, it appears that Mina will not be able to move on to the Finals. But have no fear everyone, she's not out of the story. And, for those of you wondering what the hell happened to Ami, you'll just have to wait and see. If anybody has seen the Live Action Sailor Moon series, you might have an idea as to what happened. But, just to be sure, everything will make sense in the near future._**

**_Until then, keep on rocking those reviews, and stay shiny my wonderfully awesome readers!_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_**

**_~ Rowan Cousland_**


	17. 16: Fire from the Tongues of Liars

Chapter 16

Fire from the Tongues of Liars

Small feet pounded against the sidewalk, the owner's eyes shifting from left to right, searching for her. He knew she had to be here somewhere. He just had to find her before it was too late.

"Artemis, hurry up!" Luna called ahead of him. "We have to find the girls! These dark energy readings are off the charts.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" Artemis panted, feeling as if his legs were going to fall off. How much farther did they have to go? The girls couldn't have been _that_ far away.

As the two cats rounded the corner, Artemis had his question answered.

Sitting on a bus stop bench with her arms propped up on her knees and her head resting in her hands, was Mina.

"Mina!" Artemis called out, padding over to her.

Mina's head snapped up from her hands, and her gaze finally fell on her beloved cat. "Artemis!" She cried, scooping him up from the ground and crushing him against her chest. Her voice sounded as though she'd been crying.

"Oh, Artemis! Thank God you're here. It's just been terrible here the past two days! You weren't kidding when you were talking about the crime rate here."

"T-That's… Great…. Mina." Artemis grunted, attempting to free himself from his owner's vice-like grip. "Um… Could you-?"

"And then, throughout the entire time we've been here, we've been chased down by these Rare Hunter freaks and we've almost gotten killed like 20 times today!" Mina added, ignoring the pawing of her cat squished against her chest.

"Um… Mina?' Luna asked, attempting to gain the girl's attention.

"And to make matters worse, some jerk just stole my Duel disk and ruined my cards! Now I can't be in the finals!"

"Mina!" Artemis gasped. "Oxygen… Need… Now!"

"Huh?" Mina's distracted gaze fell back towards the cat, and she quickly dropped him back into her lap. "Sorry, Artemis… I'm kind of directed right now."

"KIND OF?!" Artemis shouted with a strangled breath. He coughed, his lung adjusting to the rush of air. "You nearly suffocated me!"

"What's on your mind, Mina?" Luna asked, hopping up onto the bench next to her.

"Well, to top off everything I just told you, everyone else seems to be falling in love."

"What?" The cats asked in unison.

"What do you mean?" Luna added.

"Well, that's just it. Everyone's falling in love. Ami is practically inseparable from this Ryou kid, this kid Honda is head over heels for my cousin, Shizuka, Rei ran off and disappeared for most of the day, I'm only assuming that she was with a boy of course, and Mako is totally in love with my cousin, Jounouchi. Except, both of them are completely clueless about it. The only one who hasn't totally gone gaga over someone is Usagi. Which is surprising, to be perfectly honest. But I'm not sure if-."

"Mina, focus!" Artemis cut in. "You're rambling again."

Mina sighed, her head dropping into her hands. She released a heavy sigh. "Sorry. Like I said. Distracted."

"Mina, are you alright?" Luna asked, rubbing her head against the teen's arm. "Is this about your Duel Disk?"

Mina shook her head. "No…. It's just… Everyone else seems really happy since we came here. So why am I so upset? I'm surrounded by all of these amazing people, I get to reconnect with my family, and I get to play the game I love…. Well, not anymore on that last one. But still, I'm not so bummed about that."

Artemis curled up against her chest and look up at her. "Maybe those dark energy readings we've been getting have something to do with it?" he suggested.

"That's right!" Luna added. "In fact those readings have spiked ever since you girls came here. And, to make things worse, the readings seem to have left Tokyo."

"Isn't that a good thing though?" Mina asked, lifting her head from her hands and turning so her gaze fell on the black cat. "Like, the enemy has left the area or something?"

"No. In fact, that makes this situation so much worse. If the energy readings have increased here, and decreased back home, it can only mean one thing."

"The enemy has followed you girls here." Artemis added.

Mina quickly stood up, the sudden movement causing Luna to jump back, and Artemis to tumble to the ground. "We have to warn the girls!" Mina exclaimed, scooping Luna and Artemis into her arms and dashing down the sidewalk.

"Mina, slow down!" Artemis cried. "Where are we even going?"

"Town square." Mina responded, making a quick left turn. "We all agreed that we would meet up there once we figured out where the finals were going to be held."

"Well, could you at least slow down? Please!" Artemis continued to complain. "You're going to run into something!"

"No time!" Mina snapped, taking another turn. "They're probably on their way now. At this pace, we should…. Guys! Over here!"

The words met Usagi's ears and she grabbed a hold of Jounouchi's arm to stop him. "Wait, that's Mina!" She said, pointing across the square.

"Yeah, but what does she have in her arms?" Anzu asked.

"And where's Ami?" Rei added. "That was the whole reason that she left."

Mina jogged over to the group, bending over to catch her breath and setting the black and white bundles to the ground.

"Hey guys." She panted, lifting her head up to meet everyone's gazes. "Sorry I'm late."

"Mina, what happened to you?" Yugi asked. "Your duel disk is missing!"

"And Ami's missing!" Rei added loudly. "Did everyone forget that?"

"I'll explain later." Mina responded, waving her hand to dismiss and questions. She stood up straight again, and motioned down to the two animals at her feet. "Look who I found!"

Usagi's eyes fell downwards, and a giant grin crossed her face. "Luna!" she cried, lifting the black cat and hugging her against her chest. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Artemis were going to stay home?"

"Um…. Usagi?" Shizuka piped up. "You do realize who you're talking to, right?"

"Um… Yes? I'm talking to Luna! My cat…. My cat that can't talk…" Usagi spoke the last set of words slowly, realizing her mistake. "And, since she can't talk, I must look like an idiot right now."

"Meow." Luna replied, which Usagi knew translated into a "Yes". Usagi's face flushed red with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it, Usagi." Mai said, stepping forward and patting the girl on the shoulder. "I have a cat at home, and I talk to her all the time. It's completely normal."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Usagi replied quietly, thinking to herself how Mai's definition of "normal" was waaaay off. "Well, anyways, everyone, this is my cat, Luna."

"And this is Artemis." Mina added, introducing the white cat to the group.

"Oh! Look at the spots on their foreheads!" Anzu pointed out. "They're crescent moons! How cute!"

"It's a birthmark." Usagi and Mina said in unison, reciting the answer they'd been told a million times by the two cats.

"Well, it'll be nice to have them around." Shizuka said, scratching Artemis' head. "How long has it been since we had a pet, Jounouchi?"

"I'm not sure." Jounouchi replied. "And good riddance! They're nothing but trouble makers, and extra mouths to feed."

"So they're basically you, but small and furry?" Mai concluded.

"Hey! I don't cause trouble!" Jounouchi argued.

"You almost got yourself killed today! You don't call that trouble?"

"For the love of god, just let it go Mai!" Mako snapped suddenly. "Last I checked, we had a tournament to participate in. Are we going to go, or not?"

"I call being leader!" Usagi exclaimed, dashing to the front of the group. "Jounouchi showed us where we're supposed to go at the docks. I passed by it when I was looking for the reservoir this afternoon." She turned on her heel, and began marching forward. "Everyone, follow me."

Anzu chuckled, shaking her head. "She can be such a child sometimes." She mumbled to Yugi.

"I'll say." Yugi replied. "But, I think it adds to her personality, you know?"

Within his soul room, Yami merely smiled in response as he watched the outside world.

Al the while, that black cat of Usagi's sat on her shoulder, seemingly staring at him. Almost as if she could see right through the puzzle

* * *

><p><strong><em>((AN: Just a side note, I'd like to congratulate Evangeline11 for being the first to guess my intentions with the last scene in Chapter 15. For those of you that have seen the Live Action Series, I'm bringing in Dark Mercury. To fill in those that don't know much about, or haven't seen, the Live Action Series, Ami turns evil for a short span of time in the series, thus becoming Dark Mercury and being forced to fight the other girls. I thought this would be an interesting and unique twist (considering there is absolutely NO fanfiction surrounding Dark Mercury), but adding a little bit of my own ideas into the character. You'll find out later how Bakura knows Dark Mercury, and why it's such a shock for him to see her again. So, for the time being, we'll be referring to Dark Mercury simply as "Mercury". Now, I return you to the story._**

* * *

><p>"But… I don't understand…" Bakura stammered, completely bewildered. "You… You died."<p>

"So did you, as I recall."

"I didn't die, so to speak. My soul was merely locked away."

"Then don't be so surprised about my return. You remember how it all ended, just as I do. You know well enough that all is not as simple as life and death."

A smirk graced Bakura's lips. "The years have not changed you, Mercury. Though, your hair is shorter."

Mercury scoffed, running a hand through her hair. "It was hardly my choice in the matter. This host of mine prefers it this way. Granted, if I had it my way, this body would've been mine from the very start."

"Speaking of which, how exactly have you taken over your 'host's' body?"

Mercury gestured towards the necklace hanging from Bakura's neck. "Your Millennium Ring is what freed me." She then reached into his shirt pocket and retrieved the small blue crystal. "For years, I have laid dormant in this girl's body. At first, I questioned why. This girl's intelligence certainly matched mine, but none of her other skills came even close.

"But, it wasn't until a few months ago I discovered why." She held the crystal up, the glow seeming to intensify. "This girl is the reincarnation of Princess Mercury. My past counterpart. By removing her soul, you gave me the space I need to…. Let's say, 'move in'."

"Wait, Princess Mercury? That's… Impossible. Ridiculous even. Her soul should've been locked away with all the others."

Mercury tossed her head back in a roar of laughter. "Oh, she's still alive. They all are. Including the Moon Princess."

"And why are you so pleased by this?" Bakura asked suddenly. "I have my own plans to attend to, and I don't need them here to ruin everything."

Mercury sighed, shaking her head. "You have nothing to fear. I know who they are. You know those girls that have been hanging around Yugi all of a sudden?"

"You can't be serious." Bakura countered, nearly bursting into laughter. "Those… _Girls_ are supposed to be the Celestial Guardians?"

Mercury responded with a dark chuckle. "Oh, but it gets so much better! Supposedly, the Moon Princess is with them."

Bakura opened his mouth to issue a sudden complaint towards this, and question why she seemed so happy about it, but Mercury merely held up a hand to signify that she wasn't finished. "Here's the best part. They have absolutely no memories."

Bakura's expression turned back to his trademark smirk. "And no memories mean that their powers haven't been unlocked yet."

"Unfortunately, that also means the Princess doesn't remember who she is either. If she doesn't know, then I absolutely don't know." Mercury pointed out.

"That doesn't matter." Bakura replied. "In fact, that makes it easier for us. Without their Princess, the Guardians can't regain their memories. Without their memories, their full powers will remain locked away as well. And, with you by my side once again, they would have to think twice about crossing us." He snaked one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. "My beautiful, dark queen. With you by my side and with my plans going so smoothly, we will soon have that glorious kingdom I promised you all those years ago."

Her fingers trailed across his jaw line, a twisted smirk gracing her lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way, my king."

Slowly, the two leaned closer together, preparing to seal their promises. But, a sudden vibration and the sound of some pop song escaped Ami's handbag, interrupting their moment. Mercury groaned, pulling away to retrieve her host's phone.

"It's that Rei girl." Mercury scoffed. "What do I do?"

"How good of an actress are you?"

She smiled in response. "I see where this is going." She opened up the phone, taking the call. "Hello?" She asked, faking Ami's voice as best as she could.

"Ami, where are you? Mina was looking everywhere for you!"

"I decided to go out for a walk. Sorry I didn't call you."

"Don't worry about it." Rei responded. "We're heading off to the stadium where the finals are being held. Its right near the town square, so you can't miss it. Meet us there, alright?"

"Sure. No problem. I'll be there in a few." And with that, she snapped the phone shut and dropped it back into the bag."

"Not bad." Bakura said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "Not bad at all."

"I just hope I don't have to do that very often." Mercury said, closing her eyes and leaning back into his grasp. "My host's voice agitates me."

"The same can be said for me." Bakura replied, pulling away suddenly. "But, it looks as though we're going to have to join the crowd."

"Hooray." Mercury added sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. She picked up her bag, and followed Bakura from the cemetery. "So, I'm assuming we're going to have to pose as these idiots' friends. Correct?"

"Unfortunately." Bakura muttered. "But, look at it this way. If they're not suspicious, they won't be poking around in our business, meaning our plans will be nothing but smooth sailing."

Mercury relished in the ideas that she knew were floating around in Bakura's head. They'd been the same plans they'd had 5,000 years ago. And if she knew her partner, she knew that he was going to keep his word this time around.

Her only hope was that those nuisances know as the Sailor Scouts wouldn't get in their way.

Once they'd reached the stadium, which looked to be halfway through construction, hardly a place for a tournament to be held, the two conjured up the best impressions of their hosts they could possibly muster, and entered the building.

As soon as the bright stadium lights met their eyes, the two were met with a series of bewildered gasps.

"Ryou!" Yugi called, rushing over to his friend. Honda and Jounouchi followed in tow.

"What are you doing here, man?" Jounouchi asked.

"Yeah, you're supposed to be in the hospital."

"I'm fine, everyone. Don't worry about me." Bakura spoke, using his best Ryou impression he could. "I'm just getting used to walking again. Besides, I had Miss Mizuno with me the whole time."

"Ami, why didn't you tell us?" Usagi shouted, running towards her. "You had us worried sick! Don't you dare ever do that again!"

Ami's face suddenly changed towards Usagi, looking as though she was fighting off a grimace. "Ami, are you ok? Listen, I didn't mean to yell at you. I was just…"

"I'm fine, Usagi." Mercury said suddenly, resisting the urge to rip the annoying blonde's head off. "I'm just feeling a bit sick as all. I might just be hungry."

"I hear you on that one." Usagi replied with a grin. "Anybody know when this tournament is going to start up?"

"We still have to wait a little bit." Anzu replied. "So far, we're the only ones here."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that one." A voice piped up.

All eyes fell on the newcomer to the stadium. Rei's stomach suddenly knotted up at the sight.

Entering the stadium, was Namu.

"Namu! Thank god you're alright!" Anzu cried, rushing over to the man. Jounouchi turned his attention away from Ryou, and joined Anzu.

"Yeah, we thought those Rare Hunters had caught you." He added.

Namu merely shook his head in response. "I was able to get away. Why do you all look so worried, though? Did something happen?"

"It's a long story." Anzu said. "Let's just say that those Rare Hunters aren't exactly the nicest people in the world."

"Yeah, and the same goes for that leader of theirs. That Malik creep." Jounouchi added. "The next time I see him, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind, and a bruise the size of my fist."

"Then I suppose you'd better do it now." A deep voice rumbled from behind him.

Jounouchi practically jumped three feet in the air, and immediately spun on his heel and retreated a few steps backwards. Mako, who had just joined her two friends, places a reassuring hand on Jounouchi's shoulder, and shot the coldest glare she could form at the man before them.

"You've got some nerve showing your face here." She hissed.

"As do you." The man everyone knew as Malik responded. Ignoring the group, he strode over to Kaiba, who was standing a few feet away with two of his bodyguards and Mokuba, to receive his Tournament Pass like everyone else had.

"Who is that?" Namu asked.

"That's Malik." Mako replied. "The leader of the Rare Hunters, and the man that has been trying to kill us since this tournament started."

"Why is he even being allowed to enter then?"

Mako shrugged. "I'm not sure. He must have something Kaiba wants."

Upon seeing the tall man, Usagi felt as though she'd shrunk down a few sizes. She knew almost immediately who this man was, and she didn't want to trade a single word with him.

Before he had officially turned away from the group, his eyes met hers momentarily. She expected those eyes to be cold and ruthless. To her surprise, they seemed to almost hold a feeling of remorse and guilt. She found this odd, but her thought immediately dissipated when a large shadow crossed the stadium.

"I supposed that all of you are wondering why I've called you here to my unfinished stadium." Kaiba announced.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's crossed our minds." Jounouchi mumbled.

"Well, look up in the sky, and you'll see." Mokuba added, pointing above them with a large grin on his face. "Say hello to the Kaiba Corp. Blimp!"

A sharp gasp escaped everyone's lips.

"You mean we're going to be dueling on _that?"_ Yugi cried.

Mokuba nodded proudly. "You bet!"

The blimp landed within the stadium, and a large ramp dropped down, opening the ship to the duelists.

Usagi released an excited giggle, and turned her attention to Yugi. "Hey, Yuug. Bet you I can beat you to the blimp."

Yugi grinned, turning to face the blimp himself. "You are so on!"

The two burst off with incredible speed, ending their little race in a tie. Bakura shook his head, and slipped his hand in Mercury's grasp. With his head high, he led her onto the blimp.

The rest of the group followed after, with Jounouchi and Mako trailing behind them.

Suddenly, Jounouchi felt Mako's presence leave him for a moment. He turned around to see her standing at the base of the ramp, looking absolutely horrified.

"Mako? Are you ok?"

Her eyes trailed across the blimp, the mere thought of the contraption made her stomach turn inside out, and her knees shake violently. She felt as though she wanted to cry.

Jounouchi saw this, and immediately ran down the ramp to her side. "Hey, what's the matter? Are you afraid of heights or something?"

"Something like that…" Mako whispered, her voice threatening to crack from her built-up tears.

Jounouchi was silent for a moment, taking in the sight of the frightened girl before him. He then wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and took a hold of her hand with his other. "Hey, listen to me. I'm here for you, alright? You don't need to be afraid."

Mako's stomach slowly returned to its normal state, and she took in a deep breath. She nodded in response, fearing that her voice would betray her true feelings.

With Jounouchi's help, she made it onto the blimp without a problem.

Now, getting off of the blimp at the end of the tournament would be a different story entirely.

* * *

><p><strong><em>((AN: And, there's my new chapter! Not much to say on this one. Yes, I know I skipped over the duel with Mai and that one Movie Star that tried to kidnap her. But, in all honesty, I just wanted to get to the finals. I'm so excited to finally start this! Wait until you all see what I have in store. :3 Also, can anybody guess what song my chapter title is from? :D  
><em>**

**_Keep on rocking those amazing reviews my lovely readers._**

**_Many, MANY hugs and kisses!_**

**_-Rowan Cousland))_**


	18. 17: The First of Many Battles

Chapter 17

The First of Many Battles

Mamoru released a heavy sigh as he made yet another check towards his backpack to make sure everything was secure. Most would say he was being paranoid, but in his line of work, paranoia became your best friend.

He couldn't risk anything falling out of his bag at ANY point in time. He knew in the back of his mind that something was following him ever since he came to Domino City. He'd managed to avert its gaze a few times to change into his alter ego. But when he was in his normal attire, he couldn't get away from it.

It made him nervous. What if it was the enemy he and the Sailor Scouts we constantly fighting? What if, by chance, it would stumble across him transforming? He had to figure out what this thing was and dispose of it, one way or another.

He only came to Domino City, merely because of a dream that told him to do so. If he'd known of this mysterious force constantly stalking him, he would never have left Tokyo.

What made this dream that sent him to Domino so special, was how different it was. Normally his dreams consisted of scene of ruined columns made of marble, and a woman obscured from his view by a thick fog, crying out to him for help.

But, lately, the scenery had changed.

_The thick fog and marble ruins was replaced with warm, golden sands and a bright blue sky. A beautiful oasis stood before him. Sitting at the edge of the water was a brown haired woman with her back turned to him. The sound of sobbing filled the air, and Mamoru felt this sudden compulsion to help the woman._

_Slowly, he walked over to her and reached to touch her shoulder._

_A voice replaced the sob, causing Mamoru's hand to freeze just inches away from the woman._

_"Endymion… Please… Come back to me…"_

_Mamoru withdrew his hand, staring at the girl curiously. Was she talking to him?_

_"What?" He asked aloud. "What do you mean?"_

_The woman seemed to freeze at his words. Slowly, she rose to her feet and turned to face him._

_A golden mask obscured her face from him from the nose up, but he could see those bright blue eyes of hers plain as day._

_She laid a hand on his cheek, closing her eyes. "Come back to me." She whispered. "You promised…"_

_Suddenly, Mamoru's hand joined hers, and he leaned his face into her touch. "Where can I find you?" He asked, his words not feeling like his own._

_A breeze passed over Mamoru's face, carrying the woman's whisper with it._

_"Come to Domino City. The place where it began all those years ago."_

Mamoru shook his head at the memory, still trying to decipher what she meant by "where it all began" and who this Endymion character was.

All these questions, and the mystery behind this new woman all led Mamoru to this town.

With his mind so wrapped up in his own thoughts, he almost didn't notice the woman standing at the edge of the sidewalk, attempting to hail a taxi cab.

The two collided, causing a halfway zipped backpack and a Duel Disk filled with cards to clatter to the sidewalk.

With widened eyes, Mamoru dropped to his knees to retrieve his items. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I wasn't looking."

A smile graced the woman's lips as she joined him on the ground, sweeping her cards into her hands. "That's quite alright, Sir." She said in a calm, kind tone. As her hand passed over his bag, a strange feeling overcame her. A corner of white plastic poked out of the bag's front compartment, giving the woman a strange urge to examine it.

Her fingers trailed over it, and a flurry of images passed before her eyes. The feeling of loneliness and confusion tugged at her heart. Questions of identity and purpose filled her mind.

Mamoru's gaze flickered towards the woman's hand, realizing what she was touching. He quickly pulled the bag from under her, and stuffed the mystery item deeper into the compartment.

The woman blinked, but it wasn't out of confusion. As her eyes adjusted back to reality, her smile returned.

Mamoru gathered up the few cards she'd missed and handed them back to her. "Once again, I'm sorry. I really should pay attention to where I'm going."

"It's no trouble." The woman replied. "If anything, I should be apologizing. I was intruding on your personal belongings." Her gaze shifted back to his bag.

Mamoru tossed the backpack over his shoulder, and rose to his feet. "It's not a problem." He said. He quickly turned on his heel to leave.

"You're lost, aren't you?" The woman asked, gaining his attention again. He turned to face her, the confusion more than obvious on his face.

"You're lost." She repeated. "You don't know who you are, why you're here, or what your purpose is. You don't remember anything. You've lost so much, and yet you don't even know why. Isn't that right, Mamoru Chiba?"

Mamoru's eyes widened. "How do you know that? Who are you?"

The woman's smile never faltered. "I am Ishizu Ishtar. And I have some of the answers you are seeking."

"You do? How?!"

Ishizu motioned for him to follow her. "Come. I currently have some business to attend to. Along the way, I'll explain how I know what I know."

Mamoru walked to her side, and began following her down the sidewalk. "After that, will you tell me what I'm looking for?"

Ishizu nodded. "After my business has been sorted out, you will receive the answers you seek."

Excitement and worry squeezed at Mamoru's heart. He wasn't sure if he would like the answers he would receive, but at least he would have them.

He would finally figure out who he was, both as Mamoru Chiba, and Tuxedo Mask.

* * *

><p>Rei had to admit to herself. This Kaiba guy really knew how to spend his money.<p>

There was a main lounge on the floor that held the rooms the duelists would be staying in. Within the lounge in question was a flat screen television with almost every game system hooked up to it with a library of video games to go with it.

But one thing had caught Rei's eye in general and brought the widest grin you would ever see to reside upon her lips.

Amongst all the gaming systems, was a karaoke machine.

Now, Rei wasn't one to brag, but she did see herself as a talented singer, and that karaoke machine seemed to be calling out to her ever since she'd entered the room.

Considering that no one else was around, Rei snatch up a microphone, and popped in one of the CDs into the machine. After scrolling through the collection, Rei found one song that she knew, and began to sing along.

**_((A/N: Now, I didn't actually come up with a song for her to sing. So, I'll leave that up to your imagination.))_**

As the words escaped her lips, Rei felt every tense nerve in her body relax. Everything that had worried her had seemed to disappear all together.

It was almost like she was another person. No more visions to worry about, no Sailor Scout business, and none of those crazy near-death experiences that had occurred over the past hours.

As long as the music played, Rei was a peace.

Once the song ended, a slow, drawn out clap filled the room. Everything froze to a screeching halt in Rei's mind and she quickly spun around to see who her mystery audience had been.

"Bravo!" Spoke the voice that made Rei cringe. Did she really even have to turn around anymore? Who else would it be?

"Namu, don't you have anything better to do than stalk me?"

"Stalk you? I was doing no such thing! I was merely strolling down the hall, and happened across the most beautiful voice I'd ever heard." The tanned man stepped into the room, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk on his face.

"You're quite talented, Rei." Namu continued. "I never took you for a singer, though. You're talented, and full of surprises."

Normally, Rei would be flattered by such words. But with the words leaving _his_ lips, she couldn't trust them. Something didn't seem right about this man, as she had concluded many times over.

"Well… Thanks." Rei said, not sure how to respond to him. She set the microphone down and turned towards the machine to retrieve the CD.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, Rei," Namu spoke up again, sending chills down Rei's spine. "What happened to you earlier? I heard the explosion out on the docks, and I feared the worst when I saw that you weren't on the boat anymore."

Rei's eyebrows rose and she turned on her heel to face him again. "You were… Worried? About me?"

"Of course? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, it's just that… You barely know me. Why would you need to worry about me?"

Namu chuckled in response. "I don't need to know you enough to be worried when an explosion is happening nearby. And it wasn't a matter of needing to worry about you. More like an… Impulse."

"Well… Thank you, I guess. I'm flattered that you were so concerned about me." Rei replied. "But, In response to your question, I had heard the explosion too, and I remembered my friends saying something about a duel at the docks. So, I got worried. I decided to go check and see what was happening. I'm sorry I worried you. I would've left a note, but there was no time."

All that, or course, was a lie, and Malik could see right through that. But, it didn't matter to him. He could see the game she was attempting to play, and he wasn't one to turn down a game.

He'd have to play in order to get this girl on his side. He knew deep down that there was something different about her. And, as he knew, difference means power. And he could use all the power he could get.

"I understand. I was just checking to see if you were ok. That's all." He turned on his heel, and began to stroll out the door. "Oh, by the way, they're going to begin the drawing for the first round in a few minutes. Just thought you might want to know so you can support your friends."

Rei smiled, and nodded. "Thanks. I'll be there in a few moments."

As he walked away, Rei's smile suddenly faltered. _"Were you just… smiling at him? Rei, get a hold of yourself! This guy is bad news! Creepy with a capital 'C'! Snap out of whatever the hell is wrong with you and focus!"_

But all the while, unexplainably, Rei didn't regret that smile.

In fact, in the back of her mind, she might have even encouraged it a little.

* * *

><p>"Wow."<p>

That was all Usagi could say at the sight of her room on the blimp. It wasn't too special, to be perfectly honest. The only things that stood out to her was the mini fridge stocked up with all of her favorite snacks, (which she made a mental note so raid through later), the amazing view she knew she'd have when the blimp finally took off, and the bed that was more comfortable than her own back at home.

She collapsed onto that bed, releasing a heavy sigh. "I could get used to this."

"Remember, Usagi, you can't forget about your mission." Luna reminded her, jumping up on the bed, and curling up on one of the pillows. "This tournament may be important, but there are other forces at work here."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." Usagi muttered. "I've had a rough day, Luna. Give me a break."

Luna simply nodded, and rested her head on her paws.

There was a sudden jerking motion, causing the two to jump slightly, but they instantly calmed down, seeing that the blimp was finally taking off.

After a long, awkward silence, Usagi settled back down on the bed, and Luna finally spoke.

"I'm proud of you, Usagi. You know that, right?"

Usagi's eyebrows rose and she rolled over onto her side to face her beloved cat. "You are?"

The cat nodded in response. "Not just because of the tournament, but because of how you've been faring lately. I may not seem proud, considering how much the others and I pick on you, but I really am. You've really matured lately."

Usagi smiled in response. "What brought this on, Luna?"

Luna shrugged. "Just thought I'd say it. We have no idea what might happen in the next few days… Something might come up where I won't get to say it…"

"Luna, don't talk like that!" Usagi said suddenly. "I've had enough brushes with death today; I don't need to be reminded that there might be more in the future."

"Usagi, I-." Luna stopped herself, seeing the fear lining Usagi's gaze. She simply nodded in response, placing a paw on her owner's hand. "Alright, Usagi. I understand."

A sudden knock at her door stopped Usagi from replying to Luna, and shifted her gaze towards the door in question.

"It's open!" She called.

The door slid open with a loud hiss, revealing Yami standing in her doorway. Usagi immediately sat up, shooting off the best smile she could. "Hi."

In response, Yami gave a smile of his own. "Hey." He said. "Just came by to let you know that they're going to be starting the first duel soon. Kaiba's got a buffet set up in the great hall. You hungry at all?"

The smile widened into a grin, and Usagi jumped to her feet. "Are you kidding? I'm starving."

Yami chuckled, stepping aside to allow her through the door.

"This is going to be great!" Usagi said, glancing over her shoulder at Yami as the two walked down the hallway. "I can't wait to see who gets picked first! I-."

Suddenly, Usagi slammed into the body of another, causing them to tumble to the floor.

"Hey, watch where you're…" Usagi trailed off, seeing who it was she'd run into. "You!"

A male voice above her groaned, slapping his palm to his face. "Of all the people I had to run into today, I just _had_ to run into you. Why don't you watch where you're going, Bunhead!"

Just as she'd hit the ground, Yami was there to help Usagi back to her feet again. His gaze never left the man standing before them.

"What the hell are you doing here, Mamoru?" Usagi snapped. "I know for a fact you don't play Duel Monsters. It's too fun for some jerk like you to be interested in."

"Well you're right about that one. I have my own reasons for being here. Reasons I don't need to reveal to you."

"Well good. I wasn't going to ask." Usagi countered, crossing her arms. "Don't you have some kids to go pick on or something?"

"Why don't you come talk to me when you get something above a fifteen percent on an English test, Bunhead?"

"Hey!" Yami snapped, stepping in between the two of them. "Listen, I don't know who you are, or who you think you are, but I don't care. You _do not_ talk to her like that."

With one stern look between the two, a sudden memory came to mind, cause Mamoru to take a small step back, and for Yami's eyes to widen.

"_I'll protect her, your majesty." The man beside him said, attempting to comfort him. "I promise."_

A sudden shake of the head dismissed the two from their memories. Mamoru said nothing as he stepped around the two of them, and continued his way down the hall.

Usagi took a hold of Yami's shoulder. "Yami, are you alright?"

Yami blinked, and then suddenly turned to face Usagi. He gave her a smile in response. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

She jerked her thumb behind her, motioning towards Mamoru's direction. "It's just that…. You were…" She paused, unsure of how to phrase her concern. In all honesty, she had no clue of what she'd even seen.

"Never mind." She said, taking a hold of his hand and pulling him forward. "Come on! We're going to be late."

With a smile, Yami trailed behind Usagi.

Soon, they'd entered the Main Hall.

To her left, Usagi heard a whistle. She turned her head to have her gaze fall on Jounouchi.

"Nice place you got here, Kaiba." Jou said, striding over to the buffet table. "You really know how to throw a party."

"I'll say!" Usagi exclaimed, joining Jounouchi at the table and began piling food on top of her plate.

Anzu nudged Mako with her elbow, and motioned over to the two. "Hey, you think Usagi's got enough to eat there?"

"Usagi? No way." Mako chuckled. "That girl can out eat anybody."

"I can't disagree. She's got more food than Jounouchi."

A burst of laughter erupted amongst the girls, causing a smile to form on Mina's face. Her gaze shifted throughout the room, unsure of what to do at this point.

Quietly, Mina followed her friends and began to make her plate of food.

"I must admit, Blondie," A gruff voice broke Mina's attention, turning it towards Seto Kaiba. "I'm a bit surprised you didn't make it into the finals."

Mina scoffed, returning to her plate. "Didn't you say earlier today that my deck was pathetic?"

"That didn't mean I didn't think you'd make it far. I thought you'd get at least a few locator cards under your belt before you lost miserably."

Mina slammed her plate down onto the table and spun on her heel, pointing a finger at Kaiba. "I'll have you know that I didn't lose my locator cards in a duel, you arrogant, pompous jerk. I was jumped in an alleyway. My locator cards and my Duel Disk were stolen, and my deck was destroyed. So if you're going to make one more comment about my skills, or my deck, just know that it didn't happen the way you think."

Kaiba's eyes widened and all eyes fell on the two of them.

"Mina…" Usagi said, stepping forward. But she stopped, seeing that her friend didn't need her comfort.

"I… Apologize." Kaiba muttered.

"What?!" Jounouchi asked, completely appalled. "Did… Did Kaiba seriously just apologize?"

"Shut up, you." Kaiba snapped, his gaze shifting to Jounouchi, then back to Mina. "As I said, I apologize… I guess. I mean, it's not like it was my fault you got jumped… But, if anything, it is unfortunate."

Mina's gaze softened, and her hand dropped back to her side. "Yeah well… Thanks." She said, picking up her plate, and striding back over to the girls.

"Impressive." Mai mused. "You got Seto Kaiba to do the one thing no one else could."

"Oh yeah?" Mina replied, poking as a pile of rice she's plated with her fork. "What's that?"

"You got him to admit he was wrong."

"Doesn't happen often, I assume?"

Mai shook her head. "Nope. In Kaiba's world, he's never wrong."

"Alright, enough talk." Kaiba snapped, taking his place at the front of the hall. Behind him sat what looked like a lottery machine in the shape of Blue Eyes White Dragon. "You all came here for one reason, and that's to duel."

"This lottery machine will draw two numbers." Mokuba explained. "On each of your badges is a number. That number determines your position in the finals."

Usagi looked down at her pin, finally taking note of the large number nine next to her I.D. photo. She smiled, praying that her number got called. It was time she showed everyone how far she'd come in the game.

Kaiba pressed a button on the machine, and a flurry of ping pong balls ricocheted off of the walls of the small glass dome holding them.

After a minute, two ping pong balls rolled into two small trays. Kaiba took them in his hand, and held the first number up.

"The first Duelist is number six. Ryou Bakura." One of Kaiba's assistants announced.

A wide grin crossed Ami's face as the group applauded. Ryou seemed to be basking in the appraisal.

"The next Duelist is," Kaiba's assistant continued. "Number One. Yugi Motou!"

Yami's gaze shifted to Ryou's momentarily, seeming how his friend would react to the match up.

But as soon as he had, his gaze quickly shifted back.

Ryou's eyes had met him during that gaze, making the spirit suddenly uncomfortable. There was a dark intent behind his friend's gaze. Yami knew something was wrong here, but it could possibly be what he was thinking.

Oddly enough, there seemed to be a sudden glow forming against Ryou's chest.

It was then, Yami's suspicions were confirmed. It wasn't Ryou he was Dueling.

No… It was something far worse.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Just let me say, I had planned to have this chapter out on Valentine's Day…. But, yeah, that obviously didn't work out for me. No matter what I did, this chapter just didn't seem to satisfy me! I went back and revised it 3 different times! But, fortunately, I got it to where I'm proud of it. On another note, I found a website with all of the episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! So, updates will probably be a bit more frequent now! But, the duels won't be word-for-word similar to the show, and will probably be shortened. I've made the mistake of writing all the duels word-for-word in the past, and it just doesn't work for me now that I've looked back on it. _**

**_But, I've rambled on enough. Keep up the amazing reviews! It really means a lot to me. :)_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_**

**_~ Rowan Cousland _**


	19. 18: The Call of Darkness

Chapter 18

The Call of Darkness

Mercury could only smirk in response to the numbers that were drawn. Just like so many years before, The Pharaoh and The Thief were destined to battle. She knew, without a doubt in her mind, that Bakura would win. He had to. No matter what was in the Pharaoh's deck, and she knew well enough what was, Bakura had something that would top it.

Before he walked off, Mercury stepped in front of Bakura, placing a hand on his chest. "Good luck, Ryou." She said, imitating her host's voice as best as she could. She knew she'd said it loud enough because everyone was looking at her.

She threw her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to reach his ear.

"Don't screw this up." She muttered.

Bakura smirked in response, whispering in her own ear, "I wouldn't dream of it."

As she stepped away from him, she met the confused gazes of her friends, and gave a fake, shy smile.

"Ami… I had no ide-."

"I was just wishing him luck, _Usagi_." Mercury responded sharply, trying to keep the malice in her voice at bay. "I mean, I've been by his side all day while he was in the hospital. He deserves the luck."

Usagi could hear the hesitation in "Ami's" voice, and suddenly felt as though she'd shrunk under her friend's gaze. "I'm sorry, Ami… It was just that…"

"I know what you were implying, and frankly, it's none of your business."

"Ami, relax!" Mako said, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around Usagi's shoulders. "You know that Usagi doesn't always think before she talks."

"I do too!" Usagi snapped, turning everyone's attention away from Ami for a moment. "Don't tell me I was the only one thinking it!"

"Alright you guys, break it up." Anzu said calmly, stepping between the three girls. "Don't forget that we need to be supportive of Yugi and Ryou. Whatever problems we have on the side, we can deal with afterwards. Alright?"

"There are no problems, Anzu." Mercury replied. "I've just been…. Tense. I have a lot on my mind." Her gaze shifted back to Usagi, who still felt uncomfortable under her friend's gaze. "I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you."

A wide grin suddenly broke out on Usagi's face as she threw her arms around Mercury's neck. "It's ok, Ami. I understand. Besides, who am I to judge stress? I've nearly been killed more times today than I can count!"

Mercury tensed at Usagi's touch, and merely shrugged off the hug. "Yeah… Right." Mercury muttered, walking ahead of the group and heading towards the elevator.

"What's with her?" Mina mumbled. "She's not acting like herself."

"Maybe it really is just stress." Mako suggested. "She did have to spend all day worrying about Ryou and the rest of us. I'm getting grey hairs just thinking about it."

"Makes sense to me." Anzu added. "But, like I said, we should just worry about Yugi's duel."

"Hey! Would you hurry up?!" Jounouchi shouted from the elevator. "This elevator only holds so many people at once, you know?"

"Shut up, Jou!" Anzu snapped, sticking her tongue out at him. She then turned her attention to the girls. "Come on. Everyone else is waiting for us."

The girls nodded in response, and followed their friends onto the elevator.

* * *

><p>As Yami and Ryou took their elevator up to the top of the blimp, Yami couldn't shake the feeling that something was utterly wrong with his friend.<p>

He felt uncomfortable to even be in the same area as Ryou, and felt as though he was being targeted every time he fell under his friend's gaze. This hostility was unnatural for Ryou, regardless of the situation.

The only other time Yami had felt this, was when Ryou had been possessed by the mysterious Spirit of the Millennium Ring back in Duelist Kingdom. But it couldn't have been the same spirit now….

… Could it?

Yami shook his head, dismissing himself of those thoughts. How could he think such things about his friend? The spirit had left a long time ago. There was no possible way that the spirit had possessed him again.

Despite these thoughts, Yami didn't dare voice his concerns to Ryou. The Gods only knew how he'd react to _those_ accusations.

The elevator doors slid open with a loud hiss, revealing the top level of the blimp, where the duel would be taking place. Slowly, a large platform began to rise, showing them where their battlefield would be.

Cold, bitter winds whipped across the faces of the duelists and their audience. Some voiced their discomfort aloud. Others decided to huddle up against each other for warmth and safety.

At their words, Kaiba merely smirked. "This is the most important part of the tournament." He announced, crossing his arms. "The harsh winds and the blimp's turbulence will be a test of physical willpower, whereas the duels themselves will be a test of mentality. Those that can't handle it can be on their merry way."

"Does everything have to be a challenge with this guy?" Rei muttered.

"Unfortunately." Mina and Usagi found themselves said in unison. Both blondes glanced at each other, giving confused gazes as their responses.

"Very well." Yami said in response to Kaiba, lifting up his arm to activate his Duel Disk. "Let's begin."

"Good luck, Yugi." Bakura said, his impression of Ryou slowly slipping away with every word. "You're going to need it."

"Is that so?" Yami countered. "Well then, why don't you show us all who you really are; Spirit of the Millennium Ring!"

Bakura chuckled darkly, allowing the Millennium Ring's glow to increase. "You're more perceptive than I thought, Pharaoh." The wind tossed back Bakura's hair, revealing the malice in his now darkened eyes.

"I knew it! You _are_ the spirit!"

"That title becomes quite a mouthful after a while; don't you think? For the time being, you may refer to me as Bakura."

"Wait a second!" Honda piped up, taking notice of the necklace dangling from Bakura's neck. "I got rid of that stupid thing back in Duelist Kingdom! How the hell did you get it back?"

Bakura merely smirked in response. "I have my ways in the dark arts, which I shall reveal to you all on this night."

"I don't like the sound of that." Anzu said, shivering at the sudden chill drifting down her spine.

"I don't understand." Namu said. "What's going on here?"

Anzu bit her lip as she turned to face him. "It's… Well… It's a bit complicated, Namu."

"Well, we've got the time." Mako added. "I'm pretty sure the rest of us are just as confused."

Anzu hesitated at first, her gaze shifting back and forth between Jounouchi and Honda. They'd all forgotten that Usagi's gang wasn't aware of the Millennium Items. With a sigh, Anzu turned her attention back to the girls and Namu.

"Well… You see, it's like this. Those two guys up there aren't actually Yugi and Ryou."

Confusion flashed across the girls' faces; only Usagi and Namu kept their composure.

"What do you mean?" Mina asked. "How are they _not_ Yugi and Ryou?"

"Well, you see those golden objects around their necks? You see Yugi's gold pyramid and Ryou's gold ring with the needles on it?" Jounouchi pointed out. "They're a part of these special objects called the Millennium Items. Each Item has some special power to them. So far, we've encountered three of them. And let me tell you, so far, Yugi's is the only one that's good."

"From what we know, Ryou's Item has the power to separate souls from people's bodies. But it also houses an evil spirit." Anzu added.

"That's the one who just addressed himself as Bakura, right?" Mako asked. At this, Anzu only nodded in response.

"So, what does Yugi's do?" Mina added to the series of questions.

"I can answer that one." Usagi replied hesitantly. "As far as he knows, his Puzzle only houses a spirit by the name of Yami. At one point, the Puzzle gave him to ability to call upon the powers of darkness to his will. But, according to Yami, those powers went away about a year ago."

The Scouts stared at their friend with wide, confused eyes.

"How did you know that?" Rei asked.

Usagi smiled at that. "He told me. I didn't tell you guys because I wasn't sure how to word it. Plus, would you honestly believe me?"

The girls simply shrugged in response, none of them noticing that Ami had absolutely no reaction to the scenario.

With everything explained, and all questions laid to rest, Yami began his duel with Bakura.

Yami was doing well in the first couple of turns. He'd taken down a large chunk of Bakura's life points in only three turns.

This concerned him, though. He knew that this spirit was a talented and ruthless Duelist. Yet, now, Bakura was making amateur mistakes. Almost as if he was planning on something.

Despite this, Yami saw his opportunity to attack. So he did.

As the counter on Bakura's duel disk spun, a deep chuckle escaped his lips. "You have no idea what you have just done, Pharaoh."

"What's he laughing about?" Usagi asked."He's losing!"

Mercury's fists clenched. _"That idiot!"_ she screamed within her mind. _"He's going to throw away the entire tournament! What the hell is he doing?!"_

"You truly are a fool, Pharaoh. Are you so blind that you can't see that each and every one of your moves has played into my strategy?"

"Unless his strategy is 'losing,' I'm not seeing where he's going with this." Mako mumbled.

"By destroying my Dark Necrofear on your last turn," Bakura continued, ignoring everyone else's' side comments. "You've allowed me to play this special card, right here."

The Field Spell slot on Bakura's Duel Disk slid open, and he slipped a card inside it. "I activate Dark Sanctuary!"

The air suddenly grew colder, and a mass of darkness slowly rose from the edge of the platform. All the while, Bakura released another chuckle. The darkness covered the entire top level of the blimp, and an eerie feeling settled along with it.

Usagi shivered, suddenly feeling as if she was being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end; the feeling only growing stronger with every second.

Finally, she couldn't take it any longer. She spun on her heel, looking straight out into the darkness.

Suddenly, she released a piercing scream, jumping up into the air, and landing on her backside. She quickly scrambled away from the blimp's edge, pressing her back against Rei's legs.

Her scream gathered everyone's attention, and soon they all began to notice what had frightened their friend.

Large, deformed eyes began to appear throughout the darkness, boring their gazes into the group. Some shivered, taking as many steps as they could to back away. Others, like Kaiba and Yami, merely stood frozen in place.

Mercury made no move whatsoever, taking in a deep breath as she reveled in the darkness. This was her home. This was where she belonged. Why should she have been scared?

Bakura smirked at their reactions, finding himself proud of the chaos he was going to raise. His gaze shifted back to Yami. The look of utter shock on his foe's face was more than enough to lift Bakura's spirits even higher.

"I must thank you in advance, Pharaoh." Bakura said suddenly, gaining his enemy's attention once again. "Because of how easy you made it to manipulate your moves, you've further solidified my victory; thus, bringing me one step closer to my goal. By the end of this duel, I will gain everything, and you will lose it all!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: for the love of god, this chapter was so difficult for me to write! I had to rewatch this episode like 3 times to finally get the gist of it, and figure out what I wanted to do with it! But, by finishing this, I've made it easier for me to do in the future! :) But, regardless, I am glad to finally get this up. And, for once, I don't have a lot to say._**

**_I promise to update more often! I hope all of you that celebrate it have a wonderful Easter._**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo xoxo_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


	20. 19: The Price of Victory

Chapter 19

The Price of Victory

For the remainder of the duel, the odds hadn't exactly been in Yami's favor.

Bakura had pulled out a card, shortly after his playing of Dark Sanctuary, known as Destiny Board. This card served as a giant Ouija Board, spelling out a haunting message that was claimed to reveal Yami's fate in the duel. After a few turns, it didn't take a rocket scientist to tell that the board was spelling out "Death".

At the very last leg of the battle, the tides had turned in Yami's favor. With his strategy in play, his faithful God card, Slifer the Sky Dragon, was by his side.

All eyes had widened at that point, save for three unimpressed viewers. Usagi couldn't look away from the magnificent beast floating alongside Yami.

"So that's an Egyptian God Card?" Rei asked. "That's one of the cards that have been causing all the fuss throughout the tournament?"

"Yeah." Jounouchi replied with the only word he could scrounge up at the time.

"I didn't think they could make holograms that big." Mako replied.

"Oh, trust me," Mina added. "They can. I should know. I fought one."

Usagi spun on her heel towards he friend. "You fought a God Card? How? When? Where?!"

"I fought one earlier today." Mina replied, crossing her arms. "Mr. Fancy Pants Rich Boy up there has one."

"Doesn't surprise me." Mako muttered."

"Can it, guys!" Anzu snapped. "I think the duel is almost over."

Yami smirked in response to Anzu's comment. "That it is, Anzu. Now, Slifer the Sky Dragon, with all of your power, I command you to-."

"I wouldn't do that, Pharaoh." A deep voice rumbled from behind him.

All gazes shifted towards the elevator, revealing that it was the one they all assumed was Malik who had spoken.

"Oh yeah?" Jounouchi countered childishly. "And why shouldn't he?"

"Because it is I who have been controlling the Spirit known as Bakura this entire time!" Clenched tightly between the man's fists was an object Mako and Jounouchi knew too well.

"Is that another Millennium Item?" Namu whispered.

"Yeah." Mako replied coldly. "That's the Millennium Rod. It allows that slime ball to control anyone he wants."

"And now he's controlling Bakura?" Usagi muttered. "Why? What does he gain from that?"

Anzu shushed them all harshly, and turned back to hear the rest of the confrontation.

"Malik" held up the Millennium Rod, pointing it at Bakura. "And now, I free him from my grasp. You see how his host is with the spirit possessing him? Take a look now!"

Ryou felt the dark weight that had been crushing on his soul suddenly escape his body, and he didn't hesitate for a second to finally regain his lost control.

The moment his did, splitting pain exploded across his arm, and a sharp cry escaped his lips and he crumpled to his knees. The Spirit had been keeping him together this whole time, when in reality, Ryou was just one stitch away from falling apart.

"Attack him now, Pharaoh." "Malik" taunted. "You see his condition. Be a true friend, and put him out of his misery."

"You bastard!" Mako snarled, shoving her way past Anzu, and charging at him with a clenched fist. "I should kill you for what you've done!"

"Mako, wait!" Usagi cried, shooting out her hand to grab a hold of her friend's sleeve. The fabric grazed lightly across Usagi's fingertips, serving as a reminder of how late she'd been.

"Malik" caught onto Mako's fist just as she'd lashed out at him, and sharply twisted it behind her back. A cry escaped her lips.

"Stop it!" Mina cried.

"Let her go!" Jounouchi shouted, his own body growing tense.

"Keep a leash on your friend here." "Malik" snapped as he shoved Mako back towards the group. She stumbled before regaining her balance, and shooting a piercing glare at the man.

"Leave them alone, Malik!" Yami growled. "Out of all the horrible things you've done, you keep on finding a way to set yourself lower. You know well enough that I won't attack Ryou! The power of a God will kill him!"

"Then I guess he wins by default." Malik replied.

"Wait, I'm not getting this." Mai piped up. "Are you telling me that that monster is strong enough to actually hurt someone? How does _that_ work?"

"Those aren't just regular cards." Usagi mumbled. "There's something more to them."

"Well, Yugi," Kaiba spoke, adding his voice into the fray for once. "What's it going to be? You're spot in the finals, or your friend?"

"Are you nuts?!" Mina cried. "You can't let him do this! Somebody's life is at stake!"

"Either way," "Ami" added. "Ryou's going to need some serious medical attention and stat! He's bleeding out up there!" Her fists clenched at her sides, praying that her partner wasn't doing something foolish up there.

"Enough!" Another voice spoke, turning everyone's attention back towards the field. The look in Ryou's eyes, and the glowing of the millennium Ring proved that Bakura was back at the scene. "Pharaoh, make you're move. Attack your friend."

"What?" Yami gasped. "But you-."

"I still have use of your friend." Bakura snarled. "So, I can't allow him to die. I'll take some of the blow off of him in order to keep him alive. But, mark my words, this may be a victory for you now; but, the next time we face each other, it won't be."

Yami merely nodded, lifting his hand once again to carry out his attack.

A barrage of lightening and energy rained down on Bakura, engulfing the field in a bright light. The blast knocked Ryou onto his back, forcing the Spirit to retreat from his host's body.

The counter spun down to zero, and Ryou released a sigh of relief.

It was finally over.

**_(A/N: This was basically me at this point. Lol!)_**

The platform sank back down into the roof of the blimp, and Mercury sprinted up to Ryou. She knelt down beside him, taking a hold of his shoulders.

Gently, she laid her hand across the Millennium Ring, smirking as a pale hand joined with hers and a pair of dark eyes gave her a wink.

"Please be ok, Ryou." She said, working her way back into her act. "Please…"

"Ami, we need to get him to his room." Rei said, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We need to-." Rei paused, slowly retreating her hand as a pulse of energy ran its course up her arm.

Mercury turned on her heels, shifting her gaze towards the Shrine Maiden. "I know, Rei. I'm just worried about him."

"He'll be fine, Ami." Honda said, lifting Ryou's half conscious body to lean on his shoulder. "We just need to get a hold of a doctor."

"Speaking of which," Jounouchi added, turning to his rival. "Hey Kaiba! You wouldn't happened to have a doctor on this blimp, would you?"

Kaiba shrugged. "Why bother?"

"You're kidding me, right?" Mako mumbled.

"You can't be serious!" Mina added. "You're going to land to go get one, right?"

"Again I say, why bother? It's not my fault, nor is it my problem that he can't duel. I'm not going to waste my time."

"How can you even consider being so cruel to him!?" Mina shouted. "Look at him! His as white as a ghost, and he's losing blood. He could die! Will it be your fault then?! Will it be your problem after your name has been soiled, or before?"

"Enough!" Kaiba growled.

"No! I've had it with your ego and your attitude. If you don't get someone to help him, everyone will know by tomorrow morning that you refused to help an injured, dying duelist. I swear it."

"Mina, relax!" Anzu said, placing a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.

"No. Don't stop her, Anzu. This is getting good!" Jounouchi added, stifling a giggle.

"Alright! I said that's enough!" Kaiba snapped. He then turned towards his brother. "Mokuba, get our physician on call. Have some of our assistants set up our spare rooms to serve as medical facilities. Any questions or complaints will be directed towards me. Got it?"

Mokuba smiled, pulling out his cell phone from his vest pocket. "You got it, Bro."

Kaiba then shot a glance at Mina, seeing a smirk cross her lips. "Satisfied?" He muttered.

"Very." Mina replied triumphantly.

"Alright, Mina. You won your battle." Jounouchi said, wrapping his arm around his cousin's shoulder. "Now, let's get Ryou out of here before he loses anymore blood."

With that said, the team pulled Ryou from the field, and made the trek back to his room before anymore damage had been done to the boy. By the time Kaiba's doctor had arrived, he began his work instantly to re-stitch Ryou's arm, and begin a blood transfusion.

After almost an hour of waiting, Rei, Mina, Shizuka and Anzu all took notice of the time, and decided to call it a night.

"We should be getting to bed." Shizuka said, stretching a bit as she stood up.

"Yeah, and so should you guys." Anzu added, directing her words towards her friends that were actually dueling. "You all have a big day tomorrow."

"Anzu's right." Usagi said, nodding sluggishly. "It's been a rough night. I could use some sleep."

"If it's all the same to you guys," "Ami" piped up. "I'll stay here and watch after Ryou."

"You sure?" Mina asked. "There's still room for you in the room the girls and I are sharing."

"Ami" shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you, though."

Mina shrugged, opening the door for her and her roommates. "Alright. Suit yourself."

With that said, Anzu, Rei, Shizuka, and Mina all departed.

"And, if it's all the same to _you_ buddy," Otogi said, wrapping an arm around Jounouchi's shoulders. "Honda and I will be bunking with you."

"What?! Why me?!" Jounouchi asked, shoving Otogi off of him.

"Because you're the only one willing to put up with us." Honda added. "Besides, there's no other rooms on this floor."

"Oh whatever!" Jounouchi grumbled, crossing his arms. "Alright, let's go. I'll see the rest of you in the morning, I guess."

"Goodnight, Jounouchi." Mako said with a smile. She then turned her attention back to Usagi, Yami, and Mai. "Well, I guess I should be going too. Goodnight, everyone."

"That goes for me too." Mai added, following the brunette out of the room.

This left only Yami, Usagi, Ryou and "Ami" within the room, bringing an awkward silence along with it.

Usagi scratched the back of her head. "Well…. Um… I guess I'll be going too."

"I can walk you back, if you'd like." Yami offered, holding out a hand for Usagi to take. With her face turning a slight shade of pink, she accepted the offer.

As the two walked back to Usagi's room, the feeling of dread and fear wormed its way into Usagi's heart. She suddenly began fearing what tomorrow would bring for duels. With these "dark forces" and spirits suddenly possessing her friends, she had no idea what was going to come next.

Once she finally reached her door, the feeling still hadn't left.

Yami turned to her with a smile on his face, realizing that neither one of them had let go of each other's hand.

"Well… Here we are." He said, unsure of how to end an encounter such as this.

"Right… I, uh… Guess we are." Usagi replied, tucking strands of hair behind her ear with her free hand.

The moment seemed to drag on forever, and neither of them were too keen on letting go of their hands.

After a while, Yami slowly and hesitantly slipped his hand from hers. "Well… Goodnight, Usagi."

As he turned to leave, Usagi quickly snatched his hand back into hers. "Yami, wait!"

Yami turned around again, nearly falling over as the weight of Usagi's body pressed against him and her arms clasped around his neck in a tight hug.

"Thank you." She whispered. "For everything you've done today. Thank you. You stayed strong, when people like me were weak. You took it upon yourself to make all of the tough choices. And yet, all the while, all the truly concerns you is how everyone else is doing. I appreciate that… No, I admire that! And… Well… I just wanted to thank you for all of that!"

Yami stood there for a moment, unsure of how to respond to her. He simply wrapped his own arms around her, returning the hug. "You're… Um…."

"I know I must sound stupid, but I just wanted to tell you that."

"No! You're not stupid at all! Of course I understand Usagi. I'm just…. Not used to it, as all….. Thank you, Usagi. That really means a lot to me."

They stood there for about two or three minutes, saying nothing and doing nothing more than embracing each other.

Once they'd hit the four minute mark, Usagi pulled away and pressed her hand against her door.

"Well, now that I'm done embarrassing myself, I think I'm going to go to bed."

As the door slid open, and Usagi stepped inside her room, she gave Yami a small smile before turning in for the night.

"Goodnight, Yami."

As the door slid closed, Yami smiled to himself as he walked back to his room, and gave control back to Yugi.

As his host curled up into bed for the night, Yami laid awake within his soul room for most of the night, still having that smile plastered across his face.

_"Goodnight, Usagi."_ He thought.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, this chapter wasn't as hard to write as the last one. Hooray for that! And, I'm really happy with how this chapter came out, so another Hooray on that note. I realize that the Semi finals literally happened in one night, but I think that's beyond ridiculous for Fanfic material, so I'm going to have it span over a couple days. And, with this duel finally out of the way, I can move along with this story! You guys won't believe what duels I have planned. :3 A little hint, the duel between Rashid and Jounouchi will be the last duel from the show you'll be seeing for a little bit. The next after that will be all of my creations. :D Be prepared!  
><em>**

**_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_**

**_- Rowan Cousland_**


	21. 20: Breakfast Club

Chapter 20

Breakfast Club

_The room was dark; the walls crawling with shadows and mist._

_Three girls, all with their faces obscured by the shadows, stood in the center of the room, holding their breaths and clenching their fists at the scene unfolding before them._

_"Take one step and your leader's blood will be decorating the floor."_

_Two other girls stood before the group of three. One, the one who had spoken, was holding a translucent blade to the neck of another girl. The girl trembled under the other's grasp, feeling a sharp chill as her attacker's blade bit into her skin._

_"Girls, please. Don't worry about me. I'll be-." She yelped suddenly as her attacker yanked on her hair._

_"Keep quite." Her attacker hissed in hear ear, forcing small sobs to escape the lips of her captive._

_At this, the assailant merely smirked. "So, what's it going to be?"_

_"You don't need to do this!" One girl said, taking a half step forward. She decided against this, seeing the look of fear in her leader's eyes._

_"This isn't you!" Another girl said suddenly. "You know this is wrong!"_

_"Let her go…" The third one said, the threat of her own sobs causing her voice to crack._

_The attacker snorted out a sharp laugh. "You're tears mean nothing to me. Save them for your boyfriend."_

_"Stop it! You can fight this!" The first girl shouted."We all know that this isn't you."_

_"We believe in you!" The second girl cried. "We know you can snap out of this."_

_"Please…" The attacker's hostage spoke in a broken whisper. "Please don't do this…"_

_The attacker's hand shook slightly, almost as if she really was taking the girls' words to heart. The captive nearly burst into tears of joy, praying that their words and determination had finally broken through to the attacker._

_The sudden, sharp grip on the captive's hair returned, and all hope had been lost as soon as it had appeared._

_"SHUT UP!" The attacker screamed, almost sounding as if she was crying herself. "You don't know a thing about me! I'm not who you think I am! That girl is gone. Forever!"_

_"I don't believe that!" The hostage retorted._

_The assailant glared down at her victim, and shook her head. "Then you are a fool."_

_She pulled her arm back, preparing the swipe the blade across her victim's throat._

_"NO!"_

Rei quickly sat up from her sleep, covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

She ran her fingers through her hair, taking fistfuls of it into her hands. Small sobs of her own left her lips as her mind began to replay the horrific images she'd just seen.

"What does it all mean?" She whispered through clenched teeth. "Why am I being shown all of this?"

"Rei, are you alright?"

Rei quickly scrubbed away the tears clinging to her face, and shifted her gaze towards the couch in which the voice was coming from. Anzu was laying on her side, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Rei said, releasing her hair and laying on her back.

Anzu knew well enough the she was lying, but could see the discomfort Rei had with the subject. "Alright, I just thought I'd ask. You sounded as if you were having a nightmare."

"Kind of…" Rei replied, curling up under the blankets. "Look… I'm fine, ok? It's just a bad dream. No big deal. I'll get over it."

"Rei…." Anzu began, trying to find the words to retaliate with. But, she decided against it, seeing that her friend wanted nothing more than to fall back asleep.

"Alright. If you say so. Just… Go back to sleep. You're going to need it."

"Thanks, Anzu." Rei replied, releasing a heavy sigh and slowly closing her eyes. In practically no time, she fell back into the bliss that was her sleep.

* * *

><p>"GOOD MORNING!"<p>

A sing-songy voice shattered Rei from her sleep, forcing a groan from her lips.

"Come on Rei! You need to wake up! Up and at 'em! Rise and shine. Early Bird catches the worm. Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey…. Ok, now you seriously need to wake up. I've run out of catchphrases."

Rei groaned again, rolling over onto her side, and pulling the blankets of her head. "Rei's not here at the moment. Leave a message at the tone."

Mina rolled her eyes and tugged at her friend's blanket. "Come on, Rei. There's a pot of coffee and a plate of bacon waiting for you in the kitchen. I'd say you better hurry up before Jounouchi gets a hold of it."

"She's had a rough night, Mina." Anzu piped up, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Let her sleep in for a little bit."

"No… No there's no point to it now." Rei grumbled, rising to her feet. "Might as well just wake up and seize the day."

"Are you sure?" Shizuka asked. "You didn't sleep very well last night."

Rei forced a smile onto her sleep-deprived face. "I'll deal with it, Shizuka. Thank you, though."

"Way to go Mina." Anzu mumbled, jabbing her elbow into her friend's side.

"What?! I was just trying to make sure she didn't miss breakfast! How was I supposed to know she didn't get any sleep?"

"Come on girls." Rei said, slipping her shoes back on. "Don't worry about me. A cup of coffee should be enough to keep me going."

"Are you sure…?" Anzu asked.

"For the last time, I'm fine." Rei snapped, striding over to the door. "Now let's go!"

The other three girls glanced at each other for a moment, then shrugged in response and followed Rei to the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't that big, compared to the other rooms, but it was enough to hold everyone without being cramped.

Mako was busy at work at the stove, juggling the task of scrambling eggs, frying bacon, and flipping pieces of French Toast in their individual fry pans.

To her left, Jounouchi was helping prepare the eggs and the toast. To her right, Usagi was serving as her "waitress" and passing off the plates to everyone.

Mako caught sight of the girls as they walked in, and flashed them a smile. "Good morning!"

"Morning everybody!" Mina chirped, making her way to the island counter in the center of the room where Yugi, and eventually Usagi, were seated. "It smells fantastic in here, Mako! I hope you didn't wake up super early like last time."

"Nope! I woke up at eight when Usagi came knocking at my door. In fact, I think Jounouchi beat me here."

"There's a shock. Jounouchi up before noon?" Anzu muttered, taking a seat at one of the tables with Mai, Shizuka, and Rei. Honda and Otogi were seated at a table of their own, both looking as though they were going to fall asleep again. Namu was seated with them, his hands settled on the table before him as he seemed to stare off into space.

"Shut up, Anzu! You've done your share of sleeping in too!" Jounouchi shot back.

"Alright guys, come on." Mako said, attempting to prevent any arguments. "No fighting in my kitchen!"

"Besides," Usagi added, setting plates of food down before the girls' table. "Who could fight when there is such delicious cooking in front of them?"

"Miss Usagi, you are quite the suck up." Mako said with a wink, dishing up the blonde girl's plate.

"It's not sucking up if it's true." Shizuka said between a bite of her food. "This is fantastic!"

"I'll say!" Otogi exclaimed, finally taking a bite out of his. "Seriously, Mako. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"She taught herself!" Mina exclaimed, throwing one arm around her friend's shoulder. Mina's face beamed with pride, almost as if she was the one responsible for Mako's skills. "Isn't she just the greatest? She's never had a lesson in her life!"

"Mina…" Mako whispered in a warning tone. There she was, playing Mako off as some kind of superstar again.

"Of course, she's too modest to admit it. She won't ever accept that she's the best." Mina added.

Jounouchi strode over to the boys' table, and took a bit of the meal to finally see for himself.

After nearly 16 years of instant ramen, take out, and his own crappy cooking, Jounouchi wanted to break down and cry within the very second that the food touched his lips.

"Mako… It really is amazing." Jounouchi admitted. "In fact… I think it's beyond amazing!"

Mako's face turned ten shades of red as everyone else in the room voiced their positive feedback about breakfast. "Well… uh… thanks guys. I really appreciate it."

"Well, let the girl eat Mina." Mai said, noting that the prideful scout hadn't released her friend. "There's no point in hearing our feedback if she can't eat."

Mina released her, and the two turned their attentions back to their food.

"So, am I the only one that's super excited to see who gets drawn today?" Mina asked.

"No way!" Usagi exclaimed. "I'm so pumped for this! I hope my number gets drawn…"

"No surprise there." Yugi said with a grin. "You've been gung-ho about this since day one."

"I just hope none of us have to fight that Malik creep." Mai said, taking another bite of her food.

"Yeah, it's bad enough we've got to duel Kaiba." Jounouchi added. "Having Malik here just makes things worse."

"If anything, we should save Malik for Kaiba." Mako commented with a laugh. "Those two are a match made in heaven."

A peal of laughter erupted from the group. All except for one person was practically doubled over in a fit of giggles.

Otogi took notice of this, and gently nudged Namu in the arm. "Hey, Namu, what up with the serious face? You know it was just a joke, right?"

"I know…" "Namu" said, resisting the urge to clench his fists. "It's just… Maybe this Malik guy isn't as bad as we think. Maybe there's more to him."

"Maybe…" Mako said, fiddling with a piece of egg sitting on her plate.

"Frankly, I don't care." Jounouchi said, leaning back in his chair. "That guy's tried to kill us more times than I can count."

"And besides, you really think that his personal issues can justify what he's done?" Mina asked. "I'm with Jounouchi on this one. Malik could have Daddy issues for all I care, which I don't."

Namu stood up almost instantly at that, his hands clenching at his sides. "If it's all the same to you guys, I'm going to take a walk for a bit." He turned on his heel, striding towards the door.

Before leaving, he cast a glance at Mako, his eyes seeming to narrow. "Thank you for the lovely breakfast, Makoto. I hate that I had to cut it short."

Mako's eyes widened, and she gave a slow nod. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

As Namu exited the room, Rei felt a sudden pang of sorrow strike her heart. The way he reacted to Mina's words seemed all too familiar to her.

Out of some odd compulsion, Rei rose to her feet, and followed Namu out of the room.

"That… was a little harsh, guys." Usagi said quietly.

"You're defending that creep after all he's done? After he tried to kill you?" Jounouchi asked, bewildered.

"Well, maybe Namu's right." Mako added. "Didn't you hear how he spoke when he told us that he was going to use us? He sounded hesitant. Almost as if he really didn't want to do it."

"All I remember is that you were practically in tears trying to fight back against him." Jounouchi countered. "If it makes me the bad guy for hating that freak, then so be it."

"Jounouchi, I didn't mean it like that." Mako said, suddenly wanting nothing more than to crawl out of the room.

"Yeah, but still, I-."

Jounouchi was cut off as something pelted him the back of the head. Instinctively, Jounouchi reached back to touch the assaulted area, only to find his hand sticky. As he brought his hand back, he saw that it was maple syrup.

He turned around in his seat, seeing Mina standing a few feet away with her hands on her hips.

"That's enough." She said. "All of you just need to drop this, and-."

In response to her attack, Jounouchi grabbed a handful of scrambled eggs and chucked them at his cousin. The eggs collided with her face, cutting of her lecture.

Her eyes narrowed into a deadly glare as she grabbed for another piece of her French Toast.

"So that's how you're going to play, huh? Eat this!"

The piece of toast flew through the air, but Jounouchi saw it coming. He immediately ducked down, avoiding the blow.

The toast smacked Otogi in the face, trails of maple syrup oozed down his neck.

In retaliation, Otogi threw his own toast. Mina quickly ducked behind Usagi, leading to her becoming the next assailant.

The entire room burst into a war of foods. Toast and Eggs flew across the room, landing on almost everyone. Those that wished to avoid the line of fire quickly ducked down to the floor.

Anzu found herself crawling across the floor as she tried to find her way around the fight. She felt her hand collide with someone else's. Their fingers were a bit thin, but it wasn't enough for her to tell the gender without looking. She quickly grasped the hand, assuming it to be Mai's since she was the closest to her before.

"Oh, Mai! Thank god. Come on, let's-." Anzu paused as she turned her head; her gaze falling on a pair of eyes that she knew weren't her friend's.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Anzu said, quickly retracting her hand.

Mamoru stared at the girl in front of him, his breath caught in his throat. It was _her_. The girl he'd saved two nights ago in the alleyway, and yesterday at the pier.

Of all the places she had to be, why was she _here_?

"Oh, no!" Mamoru said quickly. "No, it's fine. I just came in here to get some breakfast, and then this food fight happened."

"Right, sorry about that." Anzu said. "My friends are a bit immature."

"It's alright. I know the feeling."

"Hey, I hate to interrupt this, but if you want to keep talking, I suggest we should get out of here." Anzu said. "I'd like to not have milk in my hair."

Mamoru nodded, and quickly rose to a crouch. Anzu followed suit, and the two quickly exited into the hallway.

"Well, that was fun." Mamoru said, dusting off his pants.

"Yeah? Try living with that every day." Anzu said with a laugh. She leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. "Hey, this might seem like an odd question, but do I know you from somewhere?"

Mamoru froze at that, his mind frantically wondering if his cover had been blown already. "Um… No. I don't think so. I just rolled into town a few days ago. A friend of mine is dueling in the tournament."

"Oh." Anzu said, slightly disappointed. He seemed so familiar to here. Maybe she'd seen him around town a few times this week. Maybe she'd bumped into him on accident when the crowds on the sidewalk would push her around.

Maybe it was his eyes that seemed so familiar. They were a shade darker than hers, but they seemed to stand out to her, and seemed incredibly unique.

"I'm sorry. My mistake." Anzu said. "I thought I might've seen you somewhere."

"Don't worry, I get that a lot." Mamoru said. "So, do you think it's safe to go back in yet? I still need to get something to eat for me and my friend."

Anzu shrugged. "Let's find out."

As the two took a peek inside, they immediately regretted it.

The food fight had only gotten worse. Bits of food were sticking out of everyone's hair, and the room was an eruption of laughter and screams.

Usagi found herself enjoying the fight the most, chucking whatever food she could get her hands on in random directions. She and Yugi had officially teamed up against their friends, with Yugi giving up his control to Yami only moments ago.

Yugi couldn't let Yami miss out on all of the fun now, could he?

Suddenly, a handful of eggs splattered across Usagi's face, practically blinding her.

She spun around, having her back face the group as she stumbled to find a table again. "Hold up, time out! I can't see!"

"Usagi, watch ou-." Mako called out, pausing suddenly as the events unfolded before her.

Usagi slipped on a piece of toast that had landed on the floor, tumbling face first towards the floor. In her panicked state, she reached out, grabbing onto whatever was in front of her.

Usagi felt a body tumble down with her, practically cushioning her as she fell. Her head snapped forward, and she suddenly felt her lips smash against someone else's.

Everyone dropped whatever ammunition they had, and turned their attention towards what might be one of Usagi's most embarrassing moments.

Usagi opened her eyes, finding those red eyes that had once made her skin crawl staring right back at hers.

The owner of said eyes also currently had his lips pressed against hers in the most awkward, accidental kiss ever.

Usagi quickly pulled away, and scrambled off of Yami upon realizing what had just happened. Yami continued to lay there, staring at her in complete awe. Both faces lit up in a bright red blush that amazed everyone else.

Mina smirked at this, tapping her elbow against Mako. "Mako, you lost that bet. You so owe me a box of Pocky after this!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: And that is that, for now at least. This chapter was a tad bit more lighthearted that usual, but it was still fun to write!_**

**_I'd like to thank everyone for being patient with me. I've had a lot of work to do at school, and its left me drained. But, I hope all of you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did!_**

**_So, a few things I'd like to bring into light. I'd like to thank Anime Freak350 for her constant PMs of ideas for this fic, and helping me break a bad case of writer's block. If any of you have idea you'd like to pitch, feel free to do so! I'm totally open to any ideas._**

**_Another thing, I know not a lot of people check out my profile, but for those of you that follow this story, and are artists, I have a proposition for you. Check out my profile for more info. Bottom line is, I'm having a Sailor Duelists fan art competition! It's not required, but I'd like for people to check it out and let me know what you think!_**

**_Until the next chapter, stay classy my beautiful, wonderful readers!_**

**_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO_**

**_- Rowan Cousland_**


	22. 21: When Lightning Strikes

Chapter 21

When Lightening Strikes

"Yugi and Usagi sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"For the last time, Jounouchi, it wasn't me!"

"Whatever man!" Otogi added, throwing his arm around Yugi's shoulders. "Your lips were practically glued to hers."

"It wasn't me!" Yugi insisted. "It was Yami! I swear!"

"You keep saying that, dude." Honda said. "But come on, don't act like you didn't like it."

"He had to have." Jounouchi pointed out. "Did you see his face afterwards? Priceless!"

"I don't like her like that, guys! Besides, the whole thing was an accident. You all saw it!"

Jounouchi laughed at that, clapping his friend on the back. "Come on Yugi. We're just teasing you."

"Yeah, we know it was an accident." Honda added. "Besides, how often does an accident like that genuinely happen?"

"Only in movies, from what I've seen." Otogi said.

"Will you guys just let it go!?" Yugi exclaimed. "Seriously. I've got enough to worry about right now, and I don't need any of you getting the wrong idea about this!"

"Relax, Yuug." Jounouchi said. "Nobody's got the wrong idea about anything."

"You're certainly not acting like it." Yugi mumbled.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure Usagi's forgotten all about it." Honda added.

* * *

><p>"Oh my god, did that seriously just happen?!" Usagi cried.<p>

"I can't believe it either!" Mina added.

"Did you see the look on their faces afterwards?" Mako asked.

"Absolutely priceless." Anzu responded.

"And absolutely precious!" Mai chimed in. "It's about time Yugi got some love."

"Guys, wait a second!" Usagi said, putting her hands up as if to ward off any ideas her friends might've had. "It was an accident, remember?"

"A really cute and coincidental accident." Mina corrected.

"I agree." Shizuka added. "It was almost as if it was destined to happen."

"But you guys don't get it. It wasn't-."

"Oh, we get it." Mai countered with a smirk. "And Shizuka has a point. It looks like fate is trying to nudge you into a particular direction."

"But guys, I really don't think I-."

"Isn't it just the cutest thing, though?" Mako added, cutting Usagi off once again. "I mean, they fit so well together!"

"The King of Games, and the Rabbit. How romantic." Mina sighed.

"Guys, it wasn't Yugi!" Usagi shouted finally.

"What are you talking about, Usagi?" Mako asked. "Of course it was!"

"No, it wasn't. It was Yami."

The girls blinked upon realizing what Usagi had just said. All of them thought back to that moment when the accident had occurred. As far as they were concerned, it really was Yugi. But Usagi probably knew better than the rest of them how to tell the difference.

"Well, you can't exactly blame us, Usagi." Mako said. "None of us could tell."

"Yeah!" Anzu said in agreement. "I mean, Yugi's my best friend, and even _I_ can't tell the difference between the two."

"Doesn't that just make the whole situation better though?" Mina asked. "I mean, I think Yami would be a better suitor for Usagi."

"You can't even tell the difference between the two, Mina!" Mako countered. "How the hell would you know that he's any better?"

"Because I'm a love expert, duh!"

"Love expert my ass!"

"Guys, knock it off!" Usagi cried. "It doesn't matter if you guys think that because I don't like him that way anyway!"

Nobody spoke after that. All the girls just stared at her, simple blinks serving as their responses.

To that, Usagi stood up, and stood at the door. "I'm going to go show real quick. If anybody needs me, come get me. Alright?"

With nods as her answer, Usagi exited the room.

* * *

><p>Rei had to practically run to catch up with Namu.<p>

Once she finally did, she found herself in the lounge where she had sung karaoke. "Namu" was sitting on the couch, his head resting in his hands.

Rei silently slid onto the couch next to him, placing a hand on his knee.

"Hey, you alright?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Namu seemed to be taken aback by her gesture, his body practically freezing at her touch. He dropped his hands and lifted his head to get a good look at her, wondering if she was being serious.

"I noticed you were a little upset when you stormed off earlier. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Oh… well… Thank you, Rei." Namu said, seeming to relax slightly. "I'm fine, really. I just got a little uncomfortable with the situation. I mean, there I was, defending some guy I don't even know, and-."

"No, I get it." Rei said, cutting him off. "If anything, I agree with you."

An eyebrow shot up on Namu's face. "You do?"

Rei nodded in response, taking her hand from his knee and clasping it with her other on her lap. "I don't know why exactly, but I feel like you were right about Malik. Maybe he's not like how everyone says he is. Maybe he's just some tortured soul wanting someone to hear his cries for help. Maybe there's some deeper meaning behind his so called 'revenge plot'. Or, maybe we're all totally wrong and he's just an ass."

Namu grimaced at that, resisting the urge to retaliate.

"But, what I was really talking about was the look on your face when Mina mentioned the 'daddy issues.'" Rei added, lifting her eyes to gaze into his. "What was that about?"

Namu shrugged. "It's… complicated."

Rei gave her own shrug in response. "Hey, it's alright." She said, pulling her knees up against her chest and resting her folded arms atop them. "I never even get to see my dad. Hell, I'm pretty sure I don't even exist to him.

"I'm just a burden to him. Just like my mother was."

Namu's eyes widened as he released a small gasp. Light bulbs began to flicker within his mind.

The two of them weren't so different after all.

Rei paused, her face turning a bright red. She buried her face into her folded arms. "I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No!" Namu said quickly, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Really, it's alright. I understand. I know how you feel."

Rei turned her head, resting it on its side. "Really?"

Namu nodded. "Yeah… I guess you could say that it was the same thing for me. My father spent years trying to make me something I didn't want to be, and believe me when I say; he went to some extremes to make it happen… It didn't, though. I found a way out of it."

His tone had grown dark at that, and Rei couldn't help but stare at him. It was almost as if it wasn't him speaking; another being's thoughts laced in with his words.

"Well, I'm glad you did." Rei said with a small smile, dismissing her previous observation. "Nobody should be forced into anything."

Namu smirked, sliding his hand from Rei's shoulder. "If you don't mind me asking, Rei; what is your father like? Aside from clearly being a neglectful ass, I mean. No offense."

Rei chuckled. "None taken. Well… He's a politician. I only get to see him once a year on my birthday, and that's it. I guess it's for the best though. I've got enough I need to worry about; I don't need his drama to stack up with mine…. He's always been so busy with his work. But I guess that's no excuse…. He didn't even come to visit my mother when she was dying in the hospital…."

Rei had no idea why she was sharing this information with him, but she felt comfortable in doing so. She had never really talked to anybody about it; minus her two pet crows, Phobos and Deimos, back at the Shrine.

"Rei, you don't have to continue." Namu said, turning away from her. "I appreciate you talking to me about it, but you really don't need to. I'm not the best person to talk to about this stuff."

"Hey, as long as you're not a crow, you're as good of a candidate and anybody else."

Namu turned to face her again, both eyebrows raised, and a confused look plastered across his face.

"Long story, don't ask." Rei said with a small giggle.

Namu gave a chuckle of his own, and for the first time in a long time, a genuine smile crept its way across his lips. It felt odd, and foreign to him. It was something he hadn't been able to do on his own for a long time.

Suddenly, Kaiba's voice crackled over the loudspeaker, announcing the drawing for the next duel.

"Well, I guess I should be going. Are you going to come?" Namu asked.

Rei shrugged. She really didn't want to. She wanted to keep talking with him.

It was funny to her, really. She'd spent all that time attempting to avoid him, when really; he wasn't that bad after all.

But, regardless of what she wanted, she knew she'd have to join the others. So she stood up, smoothed out the sudden wrinkles in her pants, and followed Namu out to meet the others.

* * *

><p>Later that night, the numbers had been drawn: and they were been enough to twist anyone's stomachs, and sink anyone's hearts.<p>

The numbers were Jounouchi's and Malik's.

Nobody knew what to expect at first. Half the group had assumed that Jounouchi would spend half the duel making back-handed remarks towards his foe, where the other half of the group just didn't know what to expect.

But what had occurred had shocked everyone.

Jounouchi had discovered the truth.

Throughout the duel, Jounouchi couldn't shake the feeling within the back of his mind that something was completely off about Malik.

He didn't seem like the cruel, cold-hearted man that had been controlling him and Mako the day before. He definitely was the one who'd carried out the order to possess them, but he seemed to calm, to level-headed to be the same person.

Jounouchi couldn't have been any closer to the truth.

Whenever he would voice his opinion, the man who claimed to be Malik would get flustered, insisting that he was the real thing. He was letting his guard down as he did so, his face showing that the words he spoke were lies, his eyes showing a deep pain as the lies left his lips.

Jounouchi had concluded that his theory was correct when "Malik" made on fatal error.

He'd summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra.

As the monster rose from the depths of the field, shaking the ground beneath everyone's feet, and bathing the rooftop in a bright, golden light, an odd feeling washed over the duelists and their audience.

A feeling of thick static clung to the air, dragging a cloud of dread along with it to hang over the crowd.

"I don't like this." Anzu whispered.

"Something's not right here." Mina added. "Something is very, very wrong…"

Off in the corner, as far away from the group as he could be, "Namu's" duel disk was lit up in a frenzy of sporadic flashing lights, and his arm shook violently.

Rei was the first to spot this, and she quickly jogged over to his side.

"Namu, what's wrong?" She asked, taking a hold of his arm.

"Guys, look!" Honda shouted, pointing towards the field.

A peal of thunder roared across the sky, causing Usagi to jump, and sink down to get as close to the floor as she could.

As the wind tugged through Mako's hair, she knew better than anyone what would come next.

A bolt of lightning crashed onto the field, forcing both duelists to jump back as far as they could. The Dragon roared, sounding almost as if in pain.

"Winged Dragon!" Malik cried over the winds. "Attack my opponent, now!"

The beast let out a mighty roar again, just as another crack of lightning cascaded onto the field.

The bolt struck Malik's face, sending the man crumpling to the floor.

"Jounouchi, get down from there!" Mina shrieked.

"Nobody move!" Kaiba barked. "Nobody move until a winner has been declared."

"Jounouchi, please!" Shizuka cried. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

Jounouchi's eyes flickered across the field, questioning what to do next. His instincts told him to go check and see if Malik was alright, at the very least get him out of this storm. His brain told him to haul ass and get as far away from that lightning as he could.

Taking a deep breath, he made his decision.

"Malik, hang in there!" He said, taking a few steps forward. "I'm getting you out of-."

A heart-wrenching scream tore from Jounouchi's throat as a second lightning bolt struck down and collided with him.

Like Malik, Jounouchi crashed to the floor like a rag doll.

"Jounouchi!" Mako screamed, pushing past Mina as she ran up onto the field. The lightening became more frequent, the thunder growing louder with every second. She dropped down to her knees, covering his body as best as she could.

"Mako, get off!" Mina cried. "We're not letting you get killed either!"

Another bolt tore its way down to the field, slamming down on Mako's back. Tendrils of electricity snaked its way across her body, but she felt no pain.

This happened a few more times, and each time Mako felt nothing.

To some, this was a surprise. To others, no so much.

A sharp cry ripped from Namu's lips as his head dropped down to his hands. Rei immediately grabbed onto his shoulder, supporting him so that he didn't topple forward as well.

One thing that no one else had noticed was that the Millennium Rod that "Malik" had been holding the entire time was now nothing more than a crumbled pile of clay and dust.

_"It was a fake!"_ Yami concluded.

_"Jounouchi was right!"_ Yugi added. _"It wasn't the real Malik!"_

As the lightning continued to pound into her back, Mako's arms began to shake as she continued to protect Jounouchi's body. She couldn't feel the pain, but she could definitely feel the pressure.

"Hold on, Jounouchi." She whispered. "Just hold on. You're going to make it."

* * *

><p><em>Jounouchi sat up from his dream, quickly glancing around the area to observe his surroundings.<em>

_He was sitting in his desk at school, his faithful Duel Monsters cards laid out before him. Had he fallen asleep during a game again? What hadn't anyone woke him up?_

_As Jounouchi stood up to gather up his belongings, his shoelace tangled up with the leg of his chair, causing him to trip, fall forward over the desk, and scatter his cards all of the floor._

_"Damn it!" He hissed, reaching out to grab his cards. He was shocked to find out that he couldn't move all of a sudden._

_"Way to go, Jounouchi." A familiar voice chimed._

_"Huh? Mina?"_

_"You're participating in the biggest tournament of your life, and yet you can't even remember to tie your shoe?"_

_"Anzu? You're here too?"_

_"Lighten up guys," a third voice spoke. "He's had a rough day."_

_"Mako? Ok, seriously! What is going on here?" Jounouchi exclaimed._

_"I don't know," Yugi piped up. "You tell us. It's your dream."_

_"Wait, you mean _this_ is a dream? But, I could've sworn that-."_

_"Of course it's a dream, doofus." Mai chuckled, cutting off Jounouchi. "Honestly, if it wasn't, why would I be here?" _

_"But, why am I even here?" Jounouchi asked._

_"Like Yugi said," Rei added. "You tell us."_

_"I'm not sure…" Jounouchi admitted. "I feel…. I feel like I'm doing something important… but I need help… help getting…."_

_"Back on your feet?" Mako asked with a smile. She held out her hand to him. "I'm sure we can arrange that."_

_Suddenly, the hands of each and every one of his friend, including Usagi and the rest of the girls, stretched out, offering their aid to him._

_With a grin, he reached forward, and allowed everyone's hands to latch onto him, and pull him up._

* * *

><p>Jounouchi's eyes shot open, and a sharp gasp heaved into his chest.<p>

As his eyes began to adjust to the real world again, he noticed that the storm had finally stopped, and a pair of beautiful green eyes were found staring back at him.

For a moment, the two were silent, taking in their stares.

Jounouchi had never noticed it before, but Mako had the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen. The bright shade of green contrasted with her dark brown hair, creating a glow in her eyes. And, there were times, if the lighting was just right or if one looked close enough; her eyes had flecks of a darker green within them.

Jounouchi propped himself up on his elbows, causing Mako to retreat slightly. A small blush rose on her cheeks, forcing her to turn away from him.

A small smile played on Jounouchi's lips, as he slid himself out from under Mako's cover and rose to his feet.

"He's up!" Mina cried, pointing towards her cousin. "Suck it, Kaiba! Jounouchi wins!"

**_(A/N: Can I just say how much I laughed after I wrote that line?)_**

Jounouchi blinked, slightly confused. "What? I won? But Malik had more life points than I did."

"Kaiba decided that since the two of you were knocked unconscious, whoever awoke first would be the victor." Mako said, jumping up to her feet. "And besides, it doesn't matter."

"I don't follow." Jounouchi said, scratching his head.

"'Malik' isn't really who he says he is." Mina said, crossing her arms. "That guy's nothing but a phony!"

A dark chuckle escaped Namu's lips, turning all eye towards him.

"You are all such thick-headed fools." He said.

Rei took a step back, finding no comfort in his words. "Namu?"

The chuckle turned into a roar of laughter. "Namu! You still believe that's my name?" He turned towards the group, tossing back his hair. "_I_ am the enemy you seek. _I _am Malik."

Gasps filled the air, and Rei nearly burst into tears. "No…." She whispered. "No… That's not possible!"

Malik smirked at her. "What's the matter? Surprised?"

"No…. _Disgusted_ is the word." Rei spat. "I trusted you!"

"We all did!" Usagi piped up.

"I ought to kill you for what you've done!" Jounouchi added, cracking his knuckles.

Suddenly, another spasm of pain tore throughout Malik's head, forcing him to double over, and clutch his head. A groan escaped his lips.

Jounouchi stepped forward to carry out his threat, but Yami stuck out his arm. "Wait! Do you feel that?"

Another wave of dread washed over the group. Rei felt a presence of darkness entering the area. She stepped as far back from Malik as she could possibly get and a scream tore from his lips.

Rei felt something snap in the air, and the darkness grew stronger almost instantly.

"What's going on?" Usagi asked, practically shrinking behind Yami.

"Everybody get back." Rei said, reaching for a protection charm she kept in her back pocket. She then began to mutter her chant, just in case.

Suddenly, Marik's screams ceased, and his body straightened. He lifted his head up, tossing his hair back for one final time.

This time, the hair stayed in a wild, upright position. A faint golden glow emanated from his forehead, taking on the form of an eye.

A deep rumble of laughter shook his chest as his gaze fell on the group before him.

"Finally, I am free."

He spoke in a voice that was obviously not his own, and this struck more fear into Rei's heart. Did he have some spirit possessing him like Ryou and Yugi?

"Who are you?" Yami said, his confidence never faltering as he stepped forward.

"I have many names, Pharaoh. At one point in time, many years ago, I was known as Marik. Considering that that name is similar to that of my host's, I suppose I'll reclaim it as my own. I am the true owner of this body, and allow me to say that I'm not as kind as that weakling you've come to know."

"Kind?!" Mako laughed. "That's a joke."

Marik glared at her. "Laugh all you want, wench. You won't be after I've gotten to you."

Jounouchi issued a glare in return, and stepped in front of Mako so she wouldn't have to look at Marik anymore.

"And, what is it that you want, Marik?" Yami asked.

Marik chuckled. "I want many things. Blood, power, and vengeance, just to name a few. All of which, I will gain from you, Pharaoh." He lifted a hand, and pointed at Yami. "So prepare yourself. The next few days will be the worst you've ever experienced. I will crush you, and I will gain your power.

"By the end of this tournament, _I_ will be the one they call Pharaoh."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Yay! I managed to milk out another chapter! And it didn't take a month to write this time! But, oh my god, the next chapter has been one I've been wanting to write, for like, EVER! So, you all remember how the next duel is supposed to be Mai vs. Marik right? Well, think again! Next chapter, another duelist will step up to the plate, and face the evil Marik. Who will it be? You'll have to wait and see. :D Feel free to leave in the reviews who you think it will be._**

**_And remember, reviews add sunshine and rainbows to my gloomy, rainy days here in Washington. Feedback is more than appreciated._**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


	23. 22: Alone

Chapter 22

Alone

By the end of the night, one more room had become a hospital.

After the revelation of Marik's identity, his imposter was revealed to be Rashid; a man who had once served as Malik's older brother, and servant to his family.

The strike from the lightening had forced Rashid into a coma, causing a lump to form in Jounouchi's throat. That could've been him, if he hadn't pulled himself together.

Despite all the trouble he'd caused, everyone came by to check up on him once his room was set up.

Mako felt sorry for him, having to pose as his younger brother, and go alone with his evil plans, when it probably wasn't what he wanted in the first place.

But her thoughts were shattered upon hearing a particular female voice speaking flirtatiously towards Jounouchi.

"So, Jounouchi," Mai said, twisting a strand of her hair between her fingers. "I don't mean to pry; but word on the street is that you had a dream that helped you recover, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Jounouchi asked cautiously.

"Well, not that it's any of my business, but… was I in it at all?"

Mako's blood boiled in her veins as she felt what she could only call jealousy race through her body. That's right, she admitted it. She was jealous of Mai.

Quickly, she stormed over towards Jounouchi. "Alright, Mai. That's enough. Jounouchi's had a rough day. I'm sure he wants to get some rest before they start drawing more numbers, right?"

Jounouchi opened his mouth to respond, but Mai cut him off.

"Hold up! Wait just a second here. Since when did you become the mother figure here? Last I checked that was Anzu's job."

"I'm not being the 'mother figure'; I'm just saying that it's been a long day for him. He's got some resting to do, and he's wasting it by talking to you."

"Do I detect a bit of jealousy, Makoto?" Mai asked, crossing her arms.

"Jealous? As if!" Mako countered.

"Well good, then I guess you won't mind if Jounouchi and I hang out a bit more; right, Jounouchi?"

"Ok, you know what, Mai? I've tried to be nice, and I've just about had enough of it. I'm going to say what's been on my mind.

"Oh this should be good." Mai muttered.

"Guys, I don't think that-." Jounouchi began, only to be once again cut off.

"To be honest, I don't like you're attitude." Mako snapped, ignoring Jounouchi completely. "You think you're so high and mighty, and you think you're better than anybody else. And you've had this attitude since Duelist Kingdom. Seriously, you were one of the least liked competitors on the island."

"Well, at least I have a name for myself. Who are you? You're just some nobody duelist that just happens to be good enough to compete in this tournament. I'm beginning to question that. How come none of us have heard of you before this?"

"That's none of your damn business, Mai." Mako snarled. "I earned my place here. Can you say the same?"

At this point, Jounouchi had given up on the girls. While they continued their argument, he snuck out the door and into the hallway.

"What's with them?" he wondered aloud. "This is the worst they've been with their bickering… Oh well."

As he began his stroll down the hall, hoping to see a turkey sandwich in his future, he felt something latch onto his ear, and yank him backward.

"What is wrong with you!" Anzu shouted into his stretched ear.

"Tone down the yelling, would you!" Jounouchi shouted back, pulling himself free. "What did I do?"

"You're just going to walk away when Mako and Mai are at each other's throats like that? What's the matter with you! I swear, you're so thick-headed."

"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't even get a word in with them fighting."

"You could've just given them an answer and got it over with. But you had to make things more difficult. Next time, grow up and grow a spine." Anzu said, crossing her arms and walking off.

"I have a spine!" Jounouchi shouted down the hall. Once she was out of earshot, he mumbled to himself. "I just don't know when to use it…"

Sighing to himself, Jounouchi decided to make his way back to the main hall. His appetite had vanished the moment Anzu had grabbed his ear, so he found no reason for the food.

He found himself wondering why his dream meant so much to Mai, and why Mako was so defensive towards him. He had a couple ideas, one of them being the possibility that Mai and Mako liked him. But that couldn't have been the reason….

_"Could it, though?"_ He wondered. Mai had given up her spot in Duelist Kingdom for him. And He had been through a lot with Mako the past couple of days, despite them only knowing each other for a short time.

And yet, he's felt like he'd known her for much longer. The connections he felt with her felt older than he was. He knew it sounded stupid, but a part of him didn't think so.

He would even go as far to say that he'd known her in a past life.

He shook his head at that, dismissing the ridiculous thoughts.

With the sudden "ding" of an elevator, his thoughts were interrupted; and all of his friends came filing out of it.

"Hey Jou," Honda called, stepping closer to the blonde. "Did you get here early or something?"

"Huh? Oh! Yeah. I just thought I'd get a head start, that's all."

Mina stared at her cousin, puzzled. She could see that he didn't come here to "just get a head start"; which made absolutely no sense, by the way. He had something on his mind; and with what she'd seen back in Rashid's room, she could take a few guesses as to what it was.

Mina stepped up and slung an arm around her cousin's shoulders. "Hey, no worries Jou. _No one is mad at you_." She said, putting as much emphasis as she could.

Jounouchi caught on almost instantly, shooting his cousin a smile. "Thanks Mina. It's good to hear that." He released a sigh at that. He felt a little better now, knowing that neither Mako nor Mai were angry with him.

That was a road he definitely didn't want to go down.

"Alright dweebs, listen up." Kaiba said in his usual gruff monotone. "Despite what you all may think, I'm still allowing Malik… Or Marik, I don't really care what he calls himself now; participate in the semi finals."

"Are you crazy?!" Usagi shouted. "He had a fake identity and everything!"

"Not to mention, he's tried to kill all of us, and kidnapped Mokuba! How could you let him participate!" Mina added.

"Look, despite what he's done, he still has something of value to me. Besides, what would you have me do? Toss him off the side of the blimp?"

"Yes." Usagi muttered, earning a small smile from Yami and Jounouchi.

Kaiba dismissed Usagi's words, and passed the order to one of his many suits to draw the numbers.

The balls within the lottery machine bounced and clattered against each other in a frenzy. Mako's heart seemed to follow at the same pace. There were eight of them left, and she knew one of them was Marik. She didn't find that thought comforting at all.

The machine slowed to a stop, spitting out the first number.

"Our first Duelist is number 10: Makoto Kino!" The suit announced.

The girls gasped with excitement, each of them forgetting for a moment that the second number was yet to be announced.

"Congratulations, Mako!" Usagi shouted.

"You're going to do great!" Mina added. "I'm sure of it."

"Thanks guys." Mako said, her heart slamming against her chest even more now. She knew deep down in her gut she wasn't going to like the next number being drawn. Either way, she'd have to go up against some strong opponent; and yes, she was including Usagi on that list.

"Our next Duelist is….."

Mako bit down on his lip, and shut her eyes tightly. She was terrified, and she wanted nothing more than for this to be over.

"… Number 5: Malik Ishtar!"

A figure standing in the corner of the room shot a piercing glare at the suit, clearing his throat loudly.

"Oh, excuse me. I mean Marik Ishtar." He corrected himself, seeming almost frightened.

The color drained from Mako's face as her knees buckled beneath her. Jounouchi caught onto her shoulder just as she'd begun to fall, and held her up. "Hey, hang in there Mako!"

Marik chuckled darkly at that. "When you're friend is ready, I'll be waiting for her on the battlefield." He walked past them, stopping at the elevator to glance at Mako once more. "I'll enjoy crushing you, my dear."

Mako felt as if she was going to throw up as the man walked away. This feeling she had was foreign to her. She never truly had been afraid of a person; planes and heights were a different story, mind you. But the feeling she got at the thought of Marik made her want to jump out of her skin.

"Mako, you listen to me." Jounouchi said, standing her back on her feet. "You get up there, and you kick that slime ball's ass into next week. You show him that he made the biggest mistake in the world when he chose to mess with you two days ago. You're stronger than he'll ever be. You understand me?"

Mako felt the strength she'd lost slowly reenter her body. She nodded, finally pulling herself together.

"You're right."

"And we'll be with you every step of the way." Mina said.

"Yeah!" Usagi piped up. "We'll be cheering you on and wishing you luck."

"No matter what." Rei added.

Mako smiled upon looking at the rest of the group. Yami stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be there for you as well."

"Damn right we will!" Otogi said, adding his voice to the chorus.

"We're not going anywhere." Honda added. "Marik will regret ever messing with any of us."

"That's right. We're in this together!" Anzu finished.

Mako nearly burst into tears then and there. All that was missing now was Ami and Ryou, but she knew that Ryou was still unconscious, and Ami was faithfully by his side.

"Thank you, all of you." Mako said. "I couldn't ask for greater friends… Now, let's get out there and kick some ass!"

As they all piled into the elevator, Rei stopped suddenly, her gaze becoming blank as she stared off into space.

Images flashed before her eyes as a sharp pounding exploded in her head. She doubled over, crying out in pain.

She saw fire; a bright, golden fire. She heard a woman screaming out for help. She saw a hand outstretching towards an expanding plane of darkness. She saw two figures disappearing into the darkness.

"Rei!" Usagi cried, running to her friend's aid. When the other's voiced their concerns as well, Usagi shooed them away. "Go on. We'll catch up."

When the elevator left, Usagi wrapped an arm around Rei. "Take it easy, Rei. Everything will be ok."

"No!" Rei croaked, grabbing onto Usagi's hands. Tears streaked down her face. "No, it won't be ok. Mako's in danger… I can feel this pain, and hear these screams…. I think they're hers, but I can't tell…. Please, Usagi… We can't let her lose… We can't!"

Usagi wrapped another arm around her friend, embracing her in a tight hug. "It's alright, Rei. She's not going to lose. I'll make sure of it… But we need to get up there, and support her. Ok?"

Rei nodded, giving Usagi a quick hug back. "Y-you're right. The best we can do is support her…. Come on. She needs us."

Usagi released her friend, took a firm hold of her hand, and led her to the elevator.

Little did they know, Rei wasn't the only one seeing these horrific visions.

* * *

><p>Mamoru sat upon a couch in Ishizu's room, flipping through one of his many books he'd brought with him on his trip.<p>

The two of them sat quietly for most of the time they'd spent there; Ishizu would stare out the window, and Mamoru would juggle between playing around on his laptop, and reading his books.

Eventually, his stomach began to voice its anger towards him due to the lack of food within it. Mamoru sighed, and wandered over to the mini fridge.

"Hey, Ishizu? Would you like something?" He said, pulling out an apple for himself.

"A bottle of water would be fantastic, if that's not too much."

"Of course not." Mamoru said with a smile, pulling the bottle from the door. He tossed it over his shoulder towards her.

"Thank you, Mamoru. I've been a bit-." A sudden gasp from Ishizu caught Mamoru's attention, and he quickly spun around on his heel.

"Ishizu? What's wrong?!"

Her eyes were glazed over as if she was trapped in a trance. The unopened water bottle slipped from her fingers, and clattered to the floor.

_Fire. Darkness. Female screams…. Alone… I'm all alone…..Please…. Don't leave me!_

Mamoru grasped Ishizu's shoulders to keep her from falling, and gave her a slight shake. "Ishizu? Ishizu, snap out of it!"

Ishizu's eyes snapped back, and a hand slid to Mamoru's wrist. "My brother…. He's fallen…"

"What are you talking about?"

"That girl… Usagi. Her friend is in danger….. Someone needs you. I can't tell who. But there's a duel. Go to it."

"What are you saying? How are you seeing this?" Mamoru asked.

"There's no time for me to explain." Ishizu said; her voice faltering slightly, and her legs becoming weaker. "Just go… Go before it's too late. I'll be alright here. I just need some rest."

Mamoru nodded, leading her back towards the couch. When she had gotten comfortable, Mamoru quickly retreated from the room, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

All the while, Ishizu's words never left his mind.

_Someone needs you…_

* * *

><p>Mako stood across from Marik, gathering as much courage as she could. She knew that his deck would be packed with powerful cards, and the fact that he had an Egyptian God Card wasn't too comforting either.<p>

Despite this, she stood tall. And once the duel was declared, her fear seemed to disappear.

She'd gone first; drawing her field spell, Necrovalley, and a couple handy trap cards. She placed one monster facedown, knowing that his effect could be useful later. Especially with the hand she's drawn.

Marik merely chuckled upon her playing of Necrovalley.

Mako's eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?"

"Have you forgotten? You and I have the same deck, and the same exact monsters. Give or take a few. By playing Necrovalley, you have given both of us a bonus in attack and defense."

Mako bit her lip, mentally smacking herself for forgetting about her first opponent in the tournament mentioning Marik's Grave Keeper deck. His monsters would be just as strong as hers, if not stronger.

She'd just have to take him down piece by piece, and pray for a heavy arsenal of spell and trap cards.

"So what?" Mako countered, swallowing her embarrassment. "I can still beat you, even if we have the same cards."

"Is that what you believe?" Marik asked, chuckling again. "Very well, I'll take my turn then."

He followed Mako's moves almost exactly, placing a monster face down, and setting his own defense of spell and trap cards. This both confused Mako, and worried her.

Shoving down that worry, Mako continued onto her next turn.

She flipped over her facedown monster, revealing it to be Grave Keeper's Commandant. Figuring that now was as good of time as any to attack she did so.

This only widened Marik's twisted grin.

"I activate my facedown monster's special effect!"

The card flipped over, showing that Grave Keeper's Guard had been his monster of choice. Mako knew his effect well enough. Her Commandant was place back into her hand, canceling her attack.

Her turn ended at that, moving back toward Marik. Using her opening to his advantage, he was prepared to attack her directly.

But, not just yet.

"Tell me, Mako dear. What do you know of the Shadow Games?"

An eyebrow rose on Mako's face. "Um… Not much? Why?"

Marik grinned once again. This was going to be fun. "They are an ancient form of Dueling. They were used by powerful magic users in the days of old. These games were said to twist the minds of the innocent, and damn the souls of those unworthy."

Mako rolled her eye. "Look, this history lesson is fascinating and all, but what's your point?"

Reaching behind him, Marik retrieved his Millennium Rod. At the mere sight of it, Mako took a step back.

"What… What are you doing with that?"

Yami gasped, his eyes widening at what he'd just realized. "Marik, stop this at once! She doesn't deserve this!"

Marik ignored him, calling on his powers of darkness.

"Mako, get out of there!" Yami shouted again.

"What's going on?" Usagi asked frantically.

A dark, cold mist settled across the field. Mako shivered, feeling as though something was watching her, and she could swear up and down that she could hear faint screams off in the distance.

"There. Isn't that better?" Marik asked, clearly not looking for an answer. "Now, Grave Keeper's Guard, attack her directly! Show her what the true powers of darkness really are.

The Guard practically flew forward, raising a staff between its hands and swiping it towards Mako.

Mako felt a powerful force slam again her chest, sending her on her back. She shut her eyes for a moment, wincing in pain. Slowly, she rose back to her feet, and opened her eyes again.

When she did, she saw Usagi standing there with her arms crossed. A scowl adorned the normally cheerful face, making Mako feel uncomfortable.

"Usagi, what are you doing up here?"

"I don't believe this." Usagi muttered. "You call yourself a Duelist? You couldn't even block that simple attack? You're pathetic!"

"Usagi…" Mako said, her voice wavering slightly. "What's the matter with you?"

"You are!" The blonde snarled. "You're everything that's wrong with this team. I can't believe I even consider you a friend! You're useless!"

Mako felt a tear roll down her cheek. "You… You don't mean that."

"Yes I do. You're worthless. Pathetic. Hopeless. You're a loser, and that's all you'll ever be."

"Usagi… Please…" Mako sobbed. "You can't mean that. Not you! You're… You're my best friend!"

"Not anymore." Usagi said, turning on her heel. "Goodbye, Mako."

Mako dropped to her knees, reaching out to grab her friend's hand. "No!" She practically screamed. "Don't leave me, please! I need you…."

As Usagi disappeared into the darkness, Mako's hand dropped to her side. "Please…. Don't leave me all alone…. I can't be alone anymore…. Not again…."

"Mako, snap out of it!" Jounouchi shouted. "It's not real!"

Mako's eyes snapped open, and she turned to see the shadows fade away slightly. She saw all of her friends standing on the sidelines of the field. Well, almost all of her friends.

Usagi was nowhere to be found.

"Mako, listen to me!" Yami added. "He's trying to trick you! That's what these games do to you. They break you and twist your mind until you go insane. No matter what happens, no matter what you see or hear, don't believe it!"

"We're all here for you, Mako!" Anzu cried.

"You can do this, Mako." Jounouchi said shooting her the most confident smile he could. "I believe in you."

With that, Mako stood up once again, her hands clenching tightly into fists. "You messed with the wrong girl, Marik. You can try to trick me all you want, but I will never give up. I will defeat you!"

Marik smirked. "Is that what you think? Very well then. It's your choice."

With his words, the duel continued.

The torment seemed never ending. Every attack would bring Mako to her knees, and every harsh word spoken by her friends would nearly bring her to tears.

Soon, the only person left in her view was Jounouchi. He continued to shout encouragements to her, and would always help her back to her feet.

Despite what Yami had told her, the words spoke by each of her friends as she lost life points rang true in her heart. Eventually, she began to believe the words she was hearing.

Useless. Worthless. A complete waste of space….

But the pain didn't end there.

When her life points had dropped down far enough, Marik summoned two monsters: Holding Arms and Holding Legs.

With the two on the field, a special ability was activated, causing a large stone tablet to appear behind Mako.

Her head whipped around, quickly switching back and forth between Marik and the stone.

"What is this?" Mako asked, feeling a lump form in her throat.

"For the moment, your prison." Marik responded.

Mako turned around, only to see Marik's monsters latch onto her ankles and wrists, and yank her back towards the tablet.

Her body slammed against the stone; realizing a sharp cry, and all of the breath from her lungs with it. And, if that wasn't enough, a burning shock coursed throughout her body, forcing a scream to tear from her throat.

"Mako!" Usagi cried, attempting to run towards her friend. Yami held out an arm to stop her.

"Wait, I think she can still make it."

"She can't even move!" Jounouchi shouted. "How can she make it?"

Yami bit his lip, unsure of how to answer. He was trying to stay optimistic for Usagi's sake; but, in reality, he couldn't find a way that Mako could win this.

Mako knew this herself. She'd been defeated.

When Marik summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra, speaking some ancient chant that held more power than it seemed, Mako knew it was over.

"Winged Dragon of Ra, attack my opponent now!"

"NO!"

Jounouchi's scream rang across the field as he ran and jumped up on the platform. As the fire erupted from the Dragon's mouth, Jounouchi threw himself over Mako to shield her.

"Jounouchi?" She mumbled weakly. "Jounouchi! What are you doing up here?! Get down from here?! You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I'm getting you out of here, Mako. Just hang in there for a little bit." His fingers curled around the golden cuff ensnaring her wrist, and began working at them.

"It's no use, Jounouchi! Just leave me up here! I'm not worth it!"

Jounouchi's eyes narrowed at her. "You're wrong, Mako. You _are_ worth it. You're worth this and so much more…. I can't leave you up here. Not even if I wanted to."

His hand trailed to her face, brushing away loose strand of her hair with his thumb. "If you go down, I go down with you. Remember?"

Mako managed a weak smile at that, nodding her head.

As she did, Jounouchi quickly learned forward, planting a kiss on her lips.

Tears streaked down Mako's face as she weakly returned the kiss, her heart pounding in her chest.

The fire was approaching quickly, and Mako couldn't be happier if this was where it all ended for her.

"That's enough!" A powerful voice exploded as Yami ran onto the field, and stood with his back facing the fire. The fire pounded into his back, but he stood his ground.

"I won't let you take them, Marik! I will protect everyone from you, even if it kills me!"

"Yami, no!" Usagi screamed, once again being stopped from running to help.

"Usagi let him go." Anzu said, holding the blonde back. "He can do this…"

But, with Anzu's words, Yami felt his power faltering. He wasn't sure how long he was going to keep this up, but he wouldn't stop.

Anzu closed her eyes, releasing a heavy sigh. "Please…" She whispered. "Please hold on…"

Mamoru dashed out of the elevator, watching as the scene unfolded before him with tense nerves.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a faint golden light emanating from where Anzu and Usagi were standing. No one else but him seemed to notice it.

The light grew brighter, and the gold light settled over the field, creating a shield around Yami, Mako, and Jounouchi.

Yami's knees buckled beneath him, but the shield stood strong.

Soon, Anzu's knees began to buckle, taking Usagi down with her.

Mamoru ran to her, looping an arm around her, and pulling her to her feet. "Hey, don't you go passing out on us!"

"Mamoru?" Rei asked, surprised to see her ex here. "What are you doing here?"

"Who cares?" Otogi countered. "What's wrong with Anzu?"

"She must be having a panic attack!" Usagi said, jumping to her feet. "We need to get her out of here."

Mamoru nodded, taking Anzu into his arms. "I'll get her back to my room. You guys take care of whatever is going on up here, alright?"

Usagi nodded, and for the first time in her life, she didn't feel the need to argue.

As the shield died down, the duel had officially ended.

Mako collapsed to her knees, struggling to even keep herself up. Jounouchi knelt down next to her, holding her close to him.

"Hey, it's alright Mako. It's over now." He whispered.

"I'm afraid not." Marik corrected, stepping past the unconscious Pharaoh. "She lost a Shadow Game. As penalty, she must lose her soul."

Jounouchi spun around on his heels, and rose to his feet.

"Over my dead body." He growled.

"Tempting, but not at this second." Marik countered, raising up his Millennium Rod. "Now, _move._"

Involuntary, Jounouchi's legs began to move on their own, sending him away from the scene. Jounouchi fought back as much as he could, but the power pounding against his mind was too powerful.

Marik smirked, raising the Millennium Rod towards Mako's face.

"Goodbye, Makoto. I hope you like being alone. You're going to be like that for a very long time."

Mako felt as if a fiery hand had grabbed onto her soul, and began ripping it from her body. Her body stiffened in response to the magic worming its way through her body.

But, just as soon as it had started, it was over.

Mako was gone.

"NO!" Usagi screamed, dropping to her knees and releasing an arsenal of sobs that had been caged within her.

Marik disregarded Usagi's misery, and the misery that followed from Mina and Rei, and exited the field with a triumphant smile.

Once he'd left, Jounouchi's body broke free of the Shadow's hold, and he quickly ran towards Mako.

"No….. No. No. No. No!" He said frantically, lifting her unconscious body into his arms. "Mako, please! Wake up! It's over now, wake up!"

"Jounouchi…" Yami said, slowly rising to his feet.

"No! This can't be happening! She didn't deserve this!"

Tears ran down Jounouchi's face as he hugged Mako against his chest.

Mina had only seen Jounouchi genuinely cry twice in her life. The first time what when his parents got divorced. The second time was when his mother took Shizuka away from him, and told him that he'd never see her again.

Within this moment, everyone had witnessed his third reason to cry.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Sorry to end this chapter on such a depressing note, and believe me when I say that it gets so much worse from here. But keep in mind that things will get better as time goes on._**

**_I've been waiting to write this chapter for a while, and I couldn't be more proud of it._**

**_Don't forget to review! And keep on rocking, my beautiful, wonderful readers!_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


	24. 23: Give Me a Sign

Chapter 23

Give Me a Sign

_"I can feel you falling away. No longer the lost, no longer the same. I can see you starting to break. I'll keep you alive, if you show me the way."_

_- Breaking Benjamin, "Give Me a Sign"_

The small beeps of the heart monitor were painful to Jounouchi. Every beep was like a stab to the heart, each reminding him of what he couldn't prevent.

Mako was laying on her bed, strapped up to every medical device possible to keep her alive.

As far as the doctor was concerned, she was in a coma. But everyone knew better.

Jounouchi pulled up a chair at the foot of Mako's bed, placing his head in his hands. Mina and Rei were seated on either side of her bed, and Usagi stood in a corner with her arms crossed and her head low. The rest of the group was spread out within the room.

"We shouldn't have let her go through with it." Mina mumbled.

"I knew it was going to end badly." Rei added. "Stupid! Why didn't we stop her?"

"You think it would've changed anything?" Shizuka asked. "She's not the type to back down from anything, and you know it."

"I know. But still…." Mina trailed off, feeling another wave of tears building up. "I just wish we could've done something."

Shizuka strolled over to her cousin, and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug. "Hey, it's alright. We'll get her back."

"Damn right we will." Jounouchi said, clenching a fist. "And if anyone is going to do it, it should be me."

"Jounouchi…" His sister spoke in a tone of warning. She knew he wasn't thinking straight, and she needed to say something before things got out of hand.

"No, Shizuka. I owe her for everything she's done for me. It's time for me to repay the favor. When the quarter finals roll around, I'm going to face Marik."

"Are you crazy?!" Mina shouted, jumping to her feet. "You saw what he did to Mako. He'll destroy you!"

"I don't care! She didn't deserve this!" Jounouchi cried, his own tears threatening to spill again. "She deserves to be avenged, at the very least."

"Isn't vengeance what started all of this?" Shizuka added. "Isn't revenge what is driving Marik to cause all this chaos?"

"But… This is different." Jounouchi insisted.

"Is it?" Mina countered, raising an eyebrow. "Is it really?"

Jounouchi released a defeated sigh, and dropped down to his chair. A gut-wrenching silence settled over the group.

"Hey, didn't Kaiba mention that he was going to start up the next duel soon?" Otogi asked, breaking the silence.

"Who cares." Jounouchi mumbled bitterly.

"No kidding." Mina added. "I'm not wasting my time just to watch that jerk duel some poor sap."

"Besides," Rei said. "I think we could all do with some early shut-eye."

"I hear that." Honda replied, stifling a yawn. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Kaiba will win anyway. He almost never loses."

"Unless it's against Yugi." Shizuka corrected.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Mina cut in, stretching her arms before she stood up and took Shizuka's hand. "But we're going to turn in for tonight."

"Hey, don't forget me." Rei added, following the girls as they exited.

Honda and Otogi strolled over to the door, both turning to face Jounouchi.

"Hey Jou, you coming?" Honda asked.

Jounouchi lifted his head slowly, casting his friends a somber glance. "I think I'll stay here for tonight, and keep an eye on her."

"Are you sure?" Yami asked. "I think she'll be ok, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi nodded. "Nah, I'm fine with it. It wouldn't feel right to leave her here all alone. I'll see you guys tomorrow, alright?"

Honda nodded, and he and Otogi officially exited the room.

Yami's gaze fell on Usagi, still standing near the corner. It broke his heart to see her like that. She looked as if she was going to crumble into pieces any second now.

"Usagi…" Yami said, hesitant to pull her away from the scene, but wanting nothing more than for her to leave for her sake.

Usagi's gaze shifted up towards him, her bright blue eyes red from all her tears. She tried to force a smile onto her face, but her lips seemed twisted into a permanent frown.

"I know." She said. "I'm going. Don't worry about me."

"I… I was just going to say that I could walk you back to your room if you'd like."

She nodded in response, keeping her head low as she followed him into the hall.

Once she was in the doorway, Usagi lifted her head and turned to Jounouchi.

"You keep her safe, you hear?" She said, trying to muster up a commanding tone. "Don't leave her side for a second. She can't stand being alone…."

Jounouchi managed a weak smile on his own face, and nodded. "I will, Usagi. I promise."

As she left the room with Yami, Jounouchi moved his chair closer to Mako's side, and took her hand in his. His thumb trailed across her knuckles, slightly calloused from all the fighting she undoubtedly did.

"No matter what, Mako, I'm going to make sure you get out of there. Wherever you are, I'll find you…. I promise…" He whispered.

With that, he shut off the lamp on her nightstand, and eventually fell asleep in that chair.

* * *

><p>As Yami walked with Usagi back to her room, she didn't speak a single word to him. He didn't want to press the matter with her, but he wanted nothing more than to hear voice and to see her smile at this point.<p>

As they approached her door, she suddenly stopped in the middle of the hallway, he hands shaking violently.

"Usagi? What's the matter?" Yami asked.

"Yami…. I…. I don't want to go…"

"What are you talking about?" Yami asked, stepping towards her. "What's wrong?"

With a small cry, Usagi threw her arms around him, latching onto him with all her might. Sobs racked through her body and her hands clenched around sections of his jacket.

"Please… Please don't leave me all alone. I'm terrified of what's been happening, and I don't want to lose anybody else….. Could you…. Could you stay up with me? Just until I fall asleep? Please? I don't know what else to do… Everyone else has somebody with them, and…. With what happened to Mako… It could happen to any of us, even without a Shadow Game…."

Yami's eyes widened at that as he slowly returned the hug. His hand trailed down her back in a comforting manner, attempting to sooth her. Her tears spilled across his shoulder, and he suddenly felt the same fears she felt.

_"Yugi… are you alright with sleeping in your soul room tonight_?" Yami asked hesitantly.

_A smile broke out across Yugi's face. He had heard the whole thing, and he understood. "Yeah. I'm cool with it…. And Yami? Don't stay up too late, alright?"_

Yami gave his own smile. _"Alright. Sleep tight, Yugi."_

With that said, Yami broke off from the hug for a moment, and looked into Usagi's eyes once again. "Usagi… If it'll make you feel better, you can stay in our room tonight. I'll stay up for as long as you need me to. Alright."

Usagi sniffled for a moment, then nodded, pulling him back into that hug. "Thank you…" She whispered.

The two pulled away from the hug, and began to trek to Yugi's room. Once inside, Yami pulled down some extra blankets and pillows from the closet, and set them on the couch.

"You can take the bed when you're ready. Do you need anything?"

"Well… You wouldn't happen to have any ice cream in the mini fridge, would you?"

Yami gave a small smile. "I'll see what I can find."

Unfortunately, they didn't; despite the fact of the mini fridge having a freezer. This led to Yami having to make a quick trip across the hall to grab the frozen treat, and two bowls. He didn't like to admit it at that moment, but he could also do with some ice cream.

When he returned, he saw that Usagi had gone to grab her backpack and had changed into her pajamas.

Yami couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. The image of Usagi in her pink pajamas with the small rabbits scattered across the fabric, and tying her hair up with ribbons, was something uncommon to him, but adorable all the same.

When Usagi turned around again, she finally took notice of Yami staring at her. She gave off her own smile, and noticed the ice cream tucked under his arm.

"Oh, you got it." She said, nearly forgetting about it.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah!" Yami replied, setting the bowls and ice cream carton on the side table next to the couch.

"Good thing, too." Usagi said, sitting down on the couch and pulling her knees to her chest. "I need some comfort food."

"You deserve it, if anything." Yami commented, dividing up the ice cream between the two bowls. He passed one bowl to Usagi. "You've had a rough day."

"Thanks." Usagi said in response to him handing her the bowl. As she took a small spoonful into her mouth, her previous thoughts came to mind and formed a lump in her throat.

"You alright?" Yami asked, seating himself in a chair across from her.

Usagi nodded, setting her bowl back down on the table for a moment. "I…. I just feel like I should've done something today."

"Usagi, don't beat yourself up over this. Nothing could've prevented what happened to Mako. It's not your-."

"You're wrong." Usagi said sharply, dropping her legs from the couch. "I could've stopped it. I could've saved her. If anything, it should've been me that lost my soul today. But I just stood there and watched as she suffered up there."

"Usagi, tell me this." Yami sat forward in his chair, setting his own bowl down. "What could _you_ have done to save Mako? I had the powers of darkness at my fingertips at one point in time, and even today I still have traces of it. That was how I was able to protect her and Jounouchi from the fire.

"Now, last I checked, you don't have these special powers like I did. So tell me, in all honesty, why you think you could've done something without getting yourself killed."

Usagi bit her lip, her eyes dropping to the floor.

She contemplated telling him the truth, then and there. For one second, she didn't care what anyone would think. She was tired of lying; tired of hiding.

But the ever lingering question of whether she could trust him came to mind. After everything they'd been through, she was still unsure. Was she willing to risk the consequences that came with her revelation?

Sighing, Usagi stood up and walked to her backpack. "Maybe it would be better if I showed you."

She dug into her front backpack pocket, and pulled out her brooch. She held the cold metal against her chest, giving a final contemplation.

If she did this, there was no turning back.

With a sigh, she turned to face Yami, and held the brooch above her head.

"Moon Prism Power, Make up!"

A bright, pink light filled the room for a moment. Yami shut his eyes to shield himself from being blinded.

Once the light faded, and his eyes opened again, he was greeted with a sight he never thought he'd see again.

Standing before him, was Sailor Moon.

"What?! But… But... How? I don't… I can't believe it. Usagi, is that really you?"

In response, the woman standing before him lifted her hand, and slipped her fingers under her mask.

With a quick tug, the mask came free, and her Sailor Suit transformed back into her pajamas. A giant smile lit up across Usagi's face. "Yep. It's me."

"I can't believe it." Yami gasped. "All this time, it's been you?"

"Well… Not just me. The rest of the girls; Ami, Mako, Rei and Mina, are all Sailor Scout's too." Usagi admitted.

Yami took a deep breath, attempting to wrap his head around it all. "So, during our duel with Pandora, it was you and the girls who saved us? And during our duel with Mako and Jounouchi, your were going to attempt to transform then, right?"

Usagi nodded, sitting back down on the couch. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Yami burst out laughing at that. "Mad? Usagi, why on earth would I be mad at you?"

Usagi blushed. "Well…. I kind of lied to you… And I was keeping secrets."

Yami smiled, sitting forward in his chair. "If you think about it, I was going the same thing when we first met. I lied to you, and hid my true identity from you… In the end, we aren't that much different."

Usagi nodded, never once thinking of it that way. "I don't want this to change anything though. No matter what, I'm still Usagi Tsukino. I may be Sailor Moon on the side, but nothing is different about me."

Yami gave his own nod, grabbing his bowl and moving towards the couch to sit next to her. "I wouldn't have it any other way." He took a bit of his now softened ice cream, and pointed at her bowl with his spoon afterwards. "Yours is going to melt."

"Oh!" Usagi said, making a quick grab for it. "Right. Sorry!"

The two of them stay up for hours, doing nothing more than just talking.

Usagi talked to him about her life out home, and about their enemy that was constantly trailing them known as the Dark Kingdom. She talked about Naru, and Umino. She talked about her family, and everyone else she knew back at home.

Yami couldn't return the favor, however, considering that he had little to no memories to share.

Despite this, he found himself content with just learning about Usagi.

As the night carried on, Usagi eventually fell asleep on the couch.

By complete accident, she's fallen asleep right when Yami had decided to lay down on the couch, trapping him on the couch with her.

He didn't want to wake her up, considering it to be rude; but he didn't want her waking up on her own and seeing him there, thinking that he was some kind of pervert.

Slowly, Yami began to lift himself off of the couch, planning on hopping over the back and going to sleep in his own bed.

Suddenly, he felt two slender arms curl around his waist. He glanced down, seeing that Usagi was holding onto him, as if he was some stuffed animal, or a security blanket of some sort. Her brows furrowed together, and a panicked expression adorned her face; almost as if she was having a nightmare.

Obviously, she was still asleep; so Yami knew she wasn't doing this consciously. Yet, he didn't feel uncomfortable in her arms. If anything, he felt… safe there.

Sighing to himself, he sank back down into the couch, giving into her embrace. As he did so, her body curled closer to him.

Eventually, Yami followed her into the abyss of sleep.

* * *

><p>Anzu's eyes slowly opened merely an hour after she'd been carried off of the field. Her head was pounding and her hands were shaking.<p>

She sat up slowly, pressing a hand to her head.

With a small groan, she mumbled. "What happened?"

"You passed out." A voice replied.

Anzu's head snapped towards the couch, seeing Mamoru sitting there.

"I did?" She asked. "When?"

"Earlier, up on the top deck. It was during your friend's duel."

"Mako!" Anzu gasped, eyes widening. "What happened? Did she win?"

Mamoru frowned, and his gaze dropped to the floor.

"No…. She lost."

"What! You can't be serious!"

"I wish I wasn't."

At first, Anzu couldn't believe it. Then, her mind went back to the last thing she remembered from her duel. With this in mind, she knew that it couldn't have been avoided.

"How did everyone else take it?" She asked.

"They were all holed up in her room for nearly an hour and a half." Mamoru replied. "They just left a few minutes to go to bed. They all seemed pretty shaken by it…. And I think I saw bunhe-; I mean, Usagi, go off with Yugi."

A loud, angry meow filled the room, bringing the teen's attention to the black cat seated at the foot of Anzu's bed.

"Luna? What are you doing here?" Anzu asked, reaching for the cat.

"She's been here ever since I brought you down her. She hasn't left your side for almost two hours."

"Two hours?" Anzu repeated, the sudden growling of her stomach serving as her answer.

Mamoru smiled. "I was just about to go raid the kitchen. Do you want anything specific?"

"Um… Whatever you can get is fine by me, I guess." Anzu answered, scratching Luna's head. "I'm not too picky."

"Alright, I'll be right back." Mamoru said, the smile still plastered across his face as he stood up and left.

Anzu sighed, throwing herself back on the bed. "It's been a tough day; hasn't it, Luna?"

"Why, yes. I would say it has been."

Anzu's eyes widened as she lifted her head up to stare at the cat. "D-did you just-."

"Talk?" Luna responded. "Yes, I did."

Anzu quickly jumped up onto the bed, scooting as far away from the cat as she could get.

"A t-t-t-talking cat?!" She stammered. "That's not possible. I'm going crazy! I must be! There's no way!"

"It is very much possible, Anzu." Luna corrected, padding closer to the girl. "I must say that I only reveal myself to certain people. You fit that category of 'certain people'."

"I… I what? What do you mean?" Anzu asked, only to rethink her words. "What am I doing? I'm talking back to the talking cat! Dear God, what is wrong with me!"

"The 'talking cat' has a name, you know." Luna sighed irritably. "Now, if you're done having a panic attack, I need you to listen to me."

"Listen to _you!_ You're a talking cat! Obviously, I'm still dreaming here. I just need to relax, and go back to sleep…."

"Well, relaxing is certainly something you need to do; but you're not dreaming, Anzu. This is all real. And what I'm about to tell you is just as real."

Anzu sighed, not seeing this going anywhere she'd like. If this was a dream, or if she really was going crazy, it looked as thought she'd just have to play along.

"Alright…. What is it?"

* * *

><p>Towards midnight, Bakura was awoken by some spiritual force probing and poking at his mind.<p>

_"Bakura? Wake up!"_

Bakura groaned, sitting up. He rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times before realizing that he was back in his host's body. Another thing he realized was the irritated tanned man standing at his bedside with his arms crossed.

"What do you want, Malik?" Bakura growled.

_"I need your help, Bakura."_

"That's funny. I seem to recall that when I needed your help, you 'genius' plan failed me."

_"But this is important!"_ Malik's spiritual form shouted. _"Some spirit, some darker half of me, has taken over my body! I need you to help me get it back!"_

"And why should I even consider this?" Bakura asked. "You're of no use to me now."

_"Think about it, you idiot! Do you think this darker half would just as readily hand over my Millennium Rod as I would? He'll kill you before you could even utter a word about it! Help me, and I'll give you the Rod?"_

Bakura sighed, realizing that he was right.

"Alright fine. What is it I need to do?"

_"First off, I need you to get Rashid out of his room. My darker half, who calls himself Marik, is planning to kill him."_

Bakura's eyes widened upon hear the name of this "darker half." It was a name he hadn't heard in many, many years.

"Are… Are you sure that's what he's calling himself?"

_"What do you mean? Of course I'm sure! I've been watching him… Why?"_

"No reason." Bakura said, waving his hand to dismiss any remark the spirit could come up with. "Alright, I'll do it."

_"I'm in your debt… And, if it'll make you feel better, you can take your girlfriend with you." _Malik added with a smirk.

Bakura scowled, his gaze then turning to the girl sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Her eyes were closed, but the smirk playing on her own lips signaled that she had heard everything.

"Mercury, weren't you ever taught that it's rude to eavesdrop?"

Mercury's smirk widened into a grin and she opened her eyes, and rose to her feet. "Oh, but it's so much fun!" she said with a cruel laugh. "What is this I hear about Malik being in our debt?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, I'm in _his_. I need your help."

"Whatever you need, I'm your girl." Mercury said. "So what do we need to do?"

_"Rashid's room is right across the hall from us. One of you needs to stand guard, while the other drags Rashid out. Put him in here if you have too, I don't care. Just get him as far away from that…. That body snatcher, as you can."_

"I'll stand guard, Bakura." Mercury said, patting his arm. "You look like you could use some heavy lifting, dear."

Bakura glared at her, but rose to his feet regardless. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because, I'm pretty and the only one willing to put up with you." Mercury concluded, following her partner as he exited the room.

Bakura mumbled some incoherent response, as he stepped towards the door. He fumbled for his access card for a moment before pulling it from his pocket, and sliding it down the slot.

The door opened with a hiss, and Bakura stepped into the room.

"Great." He muttered, taking note of the fact that Rashid was hooked up to a life support machine. "How am I going to get _that_ out of here?"

Mercury stood at the door, glancing left and right down the hall. It was quite… Almost too quiet.

This worried her. The moments were it was most quiet housed the most horrible and unexpected events.

Suddenly, she could hear footsteps coming down the hall to her left. A powerful, dark presence came along with it.

"Bakura!" She whispered, not wanting to raise alert to the intruder. "I think he's coming!"

"Damn it." Bakura muttered, quickly stepping towards the door. He took a hold of her arm. "Get in here. We'll catch him by surprise from the shadows."

The two pressed themselves against the wall, Bakura calling upon the darkness to shield them from whatever came through the door.

What came through was someone that nearly froze the blood in Bakura's veins.

Marik stepped into the room, holding the Millennium Rod in his hands. Slowly, he made his way over to the bed that Rashid was sleeping in.

Suddenly, Marik's body locked up just as he brought the dagger or the Rod into the air. In what could only be described as panic, his eyes darted across the room to see what had caused this.

"Step away from him, Marik."

The spirit's gaze shifted to the left of him, seeing Bakura and Mercury emerging from the darkness.

Marik chuckled. "Well, well. If it isn't the King of Thieves. And I see that the lovely Princess Mercury is still at your side. I should've expected as much."

"You'll be surprised to learn that 'Princess Mercury' isn't quite how she was before." Mercury said, venom dripping from her words. She remembered this man well enough, and held no respect for him.

"I guess so." Marik replied, his gaze shifting towards Bakura. "So, let me guess. You still have your eye on the Millennium Rod, and you seek to challenge me for it?"

Bakura smirked. "Well, there's a bit more that I seek from you. You inhabit a body of a soul that seeks to regain it. I challenge you to a Duel, Marik. A Duel in which you must hand over your Rod, and abandon this body if you lose."

"Very well." Marik said. "And if you lose, you hand over your Millennium Ring…. But, I think some other incentive should be in order. I see that your princess had fallen to the shadows. You hold the key to her ultimate control. If you lose, you must hand over that key."

"Deal."

"What?!" Mercury shouted, slapping her palm to Bakura's shoulder. "Are you insane? How can you agree to this!?"

"Have no fear, love." Bakura replied. "I would not wager you if I wasn't sure I was going to win."

"Well, I see where your priorities lay." Mercury scoffed, crossing her arms. "Very well. Commence with your Duel. But if you lose this one, I will personally go to the Shadow Realm and murder you!"

Bakura smirked, not wanting to point out the flaw in her logic. "Very well. Marik, you have a deal. But on one condition: Rashid stays alive."

Marik scowled at that, but mumbled in agreement.

With that, Bakura released him from his hold.

"I'll be generous, and give you 15 minutes before we begin. Don't keep me waiting." Marik said, turning with a flourish of his cape and exiting the room.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Mercury mumbled.

* * *

><p>Rei awoke with a start, the same dream from the previous night stalking her once again. She found herself curling up into a ball on the couch, holding back the frustrated sobs that threatened to escape her lips.<p>

No matter how hard she'd tried, she couldn't understand it. Her visions were always vivid, always pointing her in the direction she needed to be in. Why were these visions so obscure? Why were there faces always hidden in the dark? Why did all of the voices sound the same, making it difficult to decipher their owners?

She couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be done.

Quietly, she rose to her feet, and strolled over to the bed Mina was sleeping in. She shook her shoulder, and whispered her name.

Mina, being a light sleeper, awoke with a small groan. "Hmm? Rei? What's up?

"Hey, I'm sorry to wake you." Rei said, pulling her hand back. "I… I just need to go check something out. Can you go with me?"

"Sure thing." Mina said, noticing the worry that lingered in her friend's eye. She quickly rose to her feet and slipped her shoes on. "What's the matter?"

"It's just… This dream I've been having. It's been bugging me…. I feel like something is supposed to happen on the top deck tonight. I wanted to go grab Usagi and check it out."

"What kind of things are supposed to happen?" Mina asked.

"I… I can't exactly explain." Rei admitted.

Mina gave a small smile, and patted her friend on the shoulder. "Hey, it's ok. Let's go find Usagi, and we can all check it out together. We should probably grab Ami while we're at it too."

"That's right! I forgot about Ami." Rei said, smacking her palm to her forehead. "Alright…. Let's go."

The two quickly made their way to the hallway, before being greeted by two black and white bundles of fur.

"Girls! Thank goodness you're awake!" Artemis sighed.

"Artemis? Where have you been?" Mina asked.

"I've been around the blimp, scoping things out." The white cat replied. "Luna's been doing the same. But that's not important. Something's gone wrong with Ami."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"We saw her walking out of her room with Ryou… Or, who we thought was Ryou." Luna replied. "We're not sure. Something seemed off about him. But Ami had this odd look about her. We both got this bad feeling… We think that something is going to happen tonight."

"You're not the only one." Rei remarked. "I've had a bad feeling ever since we got on this blimp."

"We were just going to grab Usagi and check things out." Mina added.

Luna grimaced at that. "Well, you won't find her in her room."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mina asked.

* * *

><p>Usagi slowly pulled herself from her sleep, an odd feeling lingering in the back of her mind.<p>

Almost instantly, she realized how and where she'd fallen asleep.

With a panicked gasp, she quickly pulled her arms away from Yami, and rolled herself off of the couch, until her back was nearly up against the wall.

Despite the commotion she'd caused, Yami still slept soundly.

Usagi wanted to smile, but the odd feeling that had awoken her was still pounding in the back of her head.

Following this feeling, she decided to get dressed in her regular clothes, and step out into the hallway. She kept her brooch clutched tightly against her chest.

"Usagi?" A voice whispered.

Usagi jumped, flailing her arms around to ward off any unwanted intruder. She felt slender fingers wrap around her wrist to stop her.

"Usagi, it's me!"

Usagi opened her eyes to see Mina holding her wrist.

"Mina? Rei? What are you guys doing here?"

"We'll explain on the way." Rei said. "But we need to get to the top deck."

Usagi nodded, pulling her hands from Mina and slipping her brooch into her pocket. "Alright. Lead the way."

The girls and cats explained everything to Usagi along the way. Once they'd reached the elevator, the girls held each of their transformation items in their hands.

It felt odd not having Mako and Ami there, but they knew they'd have to manage.

As the elevator rose to the top floor, the girls quickly stepped out, slinking to the walls of the waiting room that led to the top deck.

There was a sudden bright light, and the sound of explosion. An anguished cry filled the air, the voice obviously belonging to Ami. A rumble of laughter followed after it.

"You've lost, Bakura. Prepare to surrender your soul to the darkness."

Bakura chuckled at his enemy's words. "You fool… Don't you realize? I am the darkness! This defeat is merely temporary."

"That may be, but your princess is mine." Marik retorted.

Bakura smirked. "She is nobody's. She is her own self. Good luck trying to tame her."

"Princess?" Mina whispered. "What does he mean?"

"I'm not sure." Luna replied. "But, at any rate, you girls should transform."

"I agree." Rei said, taking a step back.

Mercury caught a flicker of light out of the corner of her eye. But she quickly dismissed it, taking note that her partner was fading away before her eyes.

"You idiot!" She screamed, lashing her fists at the air. "I'll kill you for this!"

"You'll be fine." Bakura responded as his face began to fade away. "I'll be back… I swear it."

With that said, the spirit faded away. The Millennium Ring clattered to the floor, the small crystal following after it.

Marik chuckled as he bent down to retrieve these items. He rolled the crystal between his thumb and forefinger, shifting his gaze towards Mercury.

"Such a fool, your partner was." He said, rising to his feet again. His took a hold of her chin, gazing into her dark eyes. "But now, he has no use of you."

"Stop right there!" A female voice called.

Both gazes shifted toward the door. Three figures stood in the doorway, bathing themselves in the waiting room's lights.

"Get your filthy hands off of her! How dare you touch a kind-hearted maiden like that." Venus snapped.

"On top of that, you've stolen innocent souls and made their friends suffer!" Mars added.

"We cannot allow this chaos to go on for any longer!" Sailor Moon shouted, pointing at Marik accusingly.

"By the power of Venus,"

"By the fires of Mars,"

"And by the light of the all powerful moon,"

All three girls raised their hands, casting them forward to gesture towards their enemy. In unison, they all said, "We will punish you!"

Marik smirked, clenching the crystal into his fist. "Mercury, dear, it appears as though I have a command for you. Show them who you really are."

Mercury felt s tight, powerful force clench at her heart, practically strangling her until she obeyed. "Alright, alright!" She snapped. "I'll do it! I was going to do it anyway!"

"What is going on here?" Venus asked. "Why is he calling her Mercury? He couldn't know about our identities, could he?"

"Impossible." Mars remarked. "There's no way."

Mercury stepped off of the now lowered platform, pulling her pen from the strap of her dress.

Sailor Moon was the first to notice that the pen was no longer blue, but a deep, onyx black.

Mercury smirked, raising the pen above her head.

"Dark Power, Make Up!"

She brought the pen down in a sharp motion, the sound of roaring waves filling the air. A dark light surrounded the girl, as her new uniform took shape.

What was once a bright blue on her skirt and ribbons was had turned a dark, almost indigo color. Black tribal marks streaked across her tiara and boots. The tulle under her skirt, and the ribbon across her back had become a black lace. What was once her bow that resided across her chest was now a dark butterfly shaped chest plate.

She opened her eyes once the transformation was complete, casting a devilish smirk.

"Foolish Sailor Scouts." She said, speaking in a voice that in no way could be Ami's. "You've been too blind to see that your enemy has been right in front of you this entire time. I am Dark Mercury, the crueler, wicked side of your once innocent friend. In the name of my guardian planet, and the shadows of darkness, I will destroy you!"

"No!" Mars shouted. "No, it can't be you! Anybody but you!"

Mercury's smirk grew into a grin. Without a word, she held out her hand.

A sudden chill filled the air as a sword of ice manifested in her open hand. As she closed her hand around the hilt, claiming the weapon as her own, Marik formed a grin of his own.

He spoke two words. But those two words were enough to sink the hearts of any warrior.

"Kill them."

Mercury released a rumble of laughter from her throat. "With pleasure."

With a war cry, Mercury charged towards the girls.

Venus took a hold of Sailor Moon's arm, jumping off to the left with her in hand. Mars jumped off to the right, pulling out on of her exorcism charms and muttering her prayer.

With a quick flick of her wrist, the charm was cast; the paper slapped against Mercury's leg.

He gaze flickered towards Mars, the smirk still plastered across her face. Slipping her blade beneath the paper, she sliced through the paper.

The charm fell to the ground, and Mars's heart sank with it.

Mercury quickly dropped to the ground, stabbing her blade into the floor. A growing streak of ice shot towards Mars, slamming her against the railing of the deck. The ice then shot up from the floor, encasing Mars's wrists to the rails.

Mars struggled against the ice, fighting to summon up her fires to melt it. Something was blocking her powers, rendering her useless.

Suddenly, a golden beam of light slammed against Mercury's back, sending her to the floor. She released a frustrated growl through her teeth, and rolled over to see Venus standing tall and guarding Sailor Moon.

Mercury's smirk returned as she charged at the scout of love. She raised her sword, preparing to slash at her.

Venus made a quick grab for the chain that resided at her belt, and whipped it out towards Mercury. The chain smacked against her chest, sending her back a couple of steps.

Mercury let out a simple laugh. "You think you're so clever, don't you. Well, two can play at this game."

She knelt down, placing her hand to the floor. The same chill returned, making Venus shiver.

"Sailor Moon, no matter what happens, you need to get out of here." Venus whispered. "Don't worry about us. We can take her."

Suddenly, a wall of ice slammed against Venus's chest, sending her across the deck, until she was on the opposite end. Two more walls rose up on either side of her, trapping her in a cage of ice.

"Two down," Mercury said, rising to her feet. "One to go."

"Please… Ami…. I don't want to fight you…. You're my friend!"

"Friends are for the weak." Mercury spat, raising her sword.

"No! Please, don't!" Usagi screamed, raising her hands to shield her face.

There was a sudden bright light that momentarily blinded Mercury, and a rush of air passing over her face. She shut her eyes for a moment, but reopened them as quickly as she'd closed them.

To her rage, she noticed that Sailor Moon had disappeared.

"What?! Where did she go?!"

"Looking for someone?" A voice spoke.

Mercury spun around on her heel, seeing the one who'd saved Sailor Moon.

A woman stood on the roof of the waiting room, linking the leader scout's arm with hers. She stood in the light of the moon, like a bright spotlight that was meant for her. With a quick flip, she jumped off of the roof and landed a few feet from her enemy.

She was dressed similarly to the rest of the Sailor Scouts, sporting the colors of orange as her skirt and color colors. It was only a shade darker than Venus's. She wore stiletto style, knee-high boots of the same shade.

Her accenting colors, the colors of her ribbons, gem stones, mask, and a bow tied in her hair, were a rich amethyst color.

In her hand, she held a golden staff. The staff had a crescent moon and a large amethyst adorning the top, with a sharpened blade at the bottom.

"You dare threaten those that protect and guard this beautiful, sacred planet we call home?" She asked, speaking in a voice that held more power than it should have. "You have the nerve to harm those that speak the words of peace, beauty, love, and justice? Not on my planet you don't!"

"And who exactly are you?" Mercury snapped.

The woman stepped out of the moonlight, taking her staff into both hands, and ringing the blade across the floor.

"I am the Sailor Soldier of Nature and Light. I am the guardian of grace, and love. I am the harbinger of growth, and prosperity. I am Sailor Earth; and in the name of my beautiful home planet, and the all powerful moon, I will punish you!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: And that folks is where I leave off. Well, one thing you guys have been asking for from the start has been done! Usagi has revealed herself to Yami! And now, with the arrival of this new Sailor Scout, things are sure to get interesting._**

**_I know that technically Tuxedo Mask was supposed to represent Earth, but since these are two crossing universes, things will change._**

**_Also, from now on, I'll be putting quote that I feel fit the chapter, whether they be Song quotes, or whatever, at the beginning. I think it'll add some flair to the story. :)_**

**_Let me know what you guys think! And as always, keeping on being awesome!_**

**_Many, many hugs and kisses!_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


	25. 24: Sweet Sacrifice

Chapter 24

Sweet Sacrifice

_"It never was, and never will be. You don't know how you've betrayed me; and somehow, you've got everybody fooled."_

- _Evanescence, "Everybody's Fool"_

A twisted smirk formed on Mercury's lips as she eyed the so called "Sailor Scout" before her. She was radiating with confidence on the outside, but Mercury could practically smell the fear welling within the girl.

This was going to be fun.

"Sailor Earth, huh?" Mercury asked. "Cute. Very, very cute. But, you're just setting yourself up for failure here. Now, why don't you just take off that mask and show us who you really are."

"That's some tough talk for someone that's going to lose tonight." Sailor Earth spat, her grip on her staff tightening.

"Is that so? Do you really believe that?"

The Scout hesitated for a moment, questioning the words that had just left her mouth. Mercury caught on to this, and laughed.

"Of course you don't! You're just a child! A child that thinks that she can just throw together a costume and save the day. You don't belong here. Now, stand aside. I have some unfinished business with Sailor Moon."

"Like hell." Sailor Earth snarled, taking a step back and raising her staff. "You take a single step near her, and I will cut you down."

"Ooh. So threatening." Mercury mocked. "Tell you what; I'll play along with this little Sailor Earth act you've put on. If it'll make you feel better, I'll fight you. If I win, which I know I will, you will stand down. Understood?"

"I don't want to fight you." Sailor Earth replied. "I want _you_ to stand down. Leave these girls alone."

"And who are you to give such demands?" Mercury retorted.

"Someone who is just as strong as you are. I'm warning you, Mercury. Stand down, or I will not hesitate to fight you. I can promise that I will not be as merciful as I am now."

"You really believe in this act of yours, don't you?" Mercury mused, crossing her arms. "Very well."

She dropped her arms to her side; and for a moment, it looked as though she was giving up.

Sailor Earth barely had any time to prepare when Mercury lunged at her with her sword drawn.

The Earthen Scout lifted up her staff to block the blow, a sharp ringing vibrating throughout the deck. She struggled to keep the blade at bay for a moment, her arms shaking violently.

Mercury smirked, pushing all of her weight into her weapon. "You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, little girl."

Something sparked in Sailor Earth's eyes at that, and a burst of adrenaline shot to her arms.

With a growl escaping through her teeth, the scout was able to gain the upper hand and shove Mercury back until the dark Scout lost her footing.

Mercury stumbled back, dropping her guard. As she did this, Sailor Earth took this opportunity to attack.

She slammed the top of her staff into Mercury's chest, sending her to her back. A small stream of blood trailed from Mercury's mouth.

Sailor Earth stood above Mercury, holding the blade of her staff mere inches from her opponent's throat.

"Stand down." The Earth Guardian repeated through clenched teeth.

Mercury chuckled. "Never."

As she'd said that, her head had moved forward slightly, nicking her throat on the staff's blade.

A cry of pain erupted within the minds of each of the scouts, raising Mars and Venus from their groggy states, and forcing a gasp from Sailor Moon.

Sailor Earth's eyes widened, recognizing the voice. She lowered her blade.

A cackle of maniacal laughter erupted from Mercury's chest. "You hear her, don't you? You hear her cries of agony? Do you hear how she screams and begs to be set free? Do you see now what happens if you harm me?"

"I'll kill you!" Sailor Earth spat, her angry boiling over in her veins.

"You'll only kill Ami in the process." Mercury retorted. "We're connected. Two sides of the same coin. One cannot live without the other."

"That can't be." Sailor Moon piped up. "There has to be another way."

"There is." Sailor Earth said, raising her staff above Mercury's chest. "This is the only way."

"Wait, stop!" Sailor Moon screamed, running to stop the scout. "DON'T!"

Sailor Earth brought down the blade in one quick strike. Another scream escaped Sailor Moon's lips.

Mercury's eyes opened upon realizing that she was still alive. Her gaze shifted to her right, seeing the blade of the staff pinning the fabric of her uniform to the deck.

"I won't kill you." Sailor Earth explained. "Not until we figure out how to separate you from Ami. Until then, we'll be keeping you on lock down."

She turned to face Sailor Moon, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. You don't have anything to worry about."

Sailor Moon nodded, her gaze shifting towards Mercury. "Release the others." She demanded, her voice holding a newfound power to it. "Now."

Mercury grumbled an incoherent response, and snapped her fingers.

The ice that had been imprisoning the others melted away. As it did, Mars and Venus ran to the aid of their leader, and their new companion.

"Sailor Moon, are you alright?" Venus asked, examining the girl's arms and face. "You're not hurt are you?"

The Scout grinned in response. "I'm fine, Venus. If it hadn't been for Sailor Earth, I wouldn't be."

Mars turned to the new Scout, and gave her own smile. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to us."

"Trust me; I know." Sailor Earth replied, casting her gaze back at Mercury. "As for this one, I need you and Venus to take her down to Ryou's room. Have Kaiba lock the room from the inside out. If you explain it, I'm pretty sure he'll understand."

"Wait, how do you know all of this?" Venus asked, spinning on her heel towards the new Scout. "Who are you?"

A sudden glint in the Scouts deep blue eyes tipped Mercury off. As she was lifted to her feet by Mars, a smirk crossed her face.

"Don't worry about that." Sailor Earth responded, throwing an arm around Sailor Moon. "All will be revealed in due time. For now, I think our leader could use some rest."

Mars and Venus nodded, preparing to haul Mercury along with them.

As Sailor Earth and Sailor Moon turned away, and Mercury was hoisted to her feet, a sudden plot came to the Dark Scout's mind.

With a quick slam of her shoulders into the Scouts behind her, she wrenched her arms free from their hold. Calling upon her powers, she summoned an icicle as her weapon of choice.

She hurled the weapon, choosing Sailor Earth as her target.

"Girls, look out!" Venus screamed.

Sailor Moon turned her head, seeing the incoming attack.

Everything within that moment seemed to slow to a crawl. Using all of her weight, Sailor Moon shoved Sailor Earth out of the weapon's line of fire. The ice tore through her shoulder, slicing through fabric, muscle and bone with ease.

Venus and Mars jumped to their feet, tackling their foe to the ground, and pinning her there as Sailor Moon fell face first into the floor.

A loud, piercing scream shattered the night as Mercury's weapon's special attack took its toll.

* * *

><p><em>"Serenity! Serenity!" A male voice called out.<em>

_He was walking amongst the ruins of a once beautiful kingdom, occasionally stumbling across a corpse. Some were Lunarian, some were from Earth._

_If only he hadn't arrived so late. He could've done something about this._

_"Pharaoh…" A voice, barely above a whisper called out to him._

_The man's pace quickened to a run as he finally found the source of the voice._

_A woman laid against the collapsed marble columns, clutching a scepter in hand. Her long, silver hair splayed out around her, and the glow of her crescent birthmark was fading. Silver blood stained her crisp, white dress and trailed from her lips._

_"Your Majesty!" The man gasped, taking the woman's hands in his. Tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'm… I'm so sorry. I was too late."_

_"Shhh." The Queen shushed him, placing a hand on his cheek. "No… It's not your fault, Dear. No one could've been prepared for this. Not even the Solar Guardians were prepared…." She grunted and a spasm of pain shot across her body._

_"Try not to move." The man instructed, removing his cloak from his shoulders and casting it over the woman's body. "Just hold on. I have healers on their way."_

_"No… Please… It's too late for me…I can't go on knowing I couldn't protect her…."_

_"Wait….. Her?" His voice quivered upon uttering the word. _

_The Queen nodded solemnly. "The Witch got to her before I could. She tossed aside the Guardians like flies, killing each of them instantly…. I couldn't protect them…"_

_The streams of tears continued to flow down the man's face. "No…" He whispered. "No… Please… There's got to be something!"_

_A sad smile graced the Queen's lips. "My dear child… I'm sorry it had to come to this…. I know you loved her, though I had my doubts for the longest time…. There _is_ something I can do…. I can use what little power I have left, and I can preserve their souls. They will be resurrected in another time. Hopefully, it is a time of peace…. I can do the same for your soul, when your time comes."_

_The man shook his head. "No. I can't allow this. It'll kill you!"_

_"Look at me, Dear. Tell me. Does it look like I have much time left anyway? This way, my powers won't be wasted. I can put my power to good use before I die…. Please…. Let me do this….."_

_"Your Majesty…" The man paused, seeing that there was no arguing with her. Her daughter was so much like her. "Very well. I'll lend you some of my power as well."_

_The Queen smiled, lifting up her left hand to join his. She slipped something from her clenched fist into his awaiting palm._

_A silver moon pendent now rested in his hands: the same pendent that he'd given to Serenity._

_His fist tightened around it, the tears returning to his eyes. The Queen smiled, and whispered one phrase to him in her final breath. _

_"I would've been proud to call you my son…" _

With a gasp, Yami shot up from his place on the couch. He nearly fell off of it with this sudden revelation.

Pieces were starting to click in his mind. Whoever this Serenity in his dreams was, and he had a vague idea as to whom, she had the same necklace that Usagi had won from the game at the arcade. And, the man in his dream was in love with Serenity.

But before his mind could make anymore connections, he realized that Usagi was no longer in the room with him.

Normally, he wouldn't have worried about this. But, given her state of panic earlier, he had all the reason in the world to panic himself.

A sudden scream echoed throughout the blimp, and Yami felt this vice-like grip squeeze at his heart. He recognized the voice behind the scream.

"Usagi!" He called out, running towards his door and into the hallway.

He wasn't alone in the hallway either. Jounouchi, Honda, and Otogi had all risen at the sound of commotion. Not speaking a single word, the four of them followed the screams up to the top deck of the blimp.

The scene before the caused a lump to form in his throat.

"Um… Yugi?" Honda said, scratching his head. "Could somebody explain to me what I'm seeing?"

"There's no time for that!" Jounouchi countered, quickly running to the aid of his cousin as she struggled to restrain Mercury.

Sailor Earth and Sailor Mars were crouching near Sailor Moon, gently holding her down to keep her from thrashing too much. Her screams never ceased, and the ice spearing through her shoulder never seemed to melt away.

"What's wrong with her?!" Yami asked, running over to the girls' aid.

"We don't know!" Mars replied. "That… That traitor attacked her, and this chunk of ice won't come out of her shoulder…. I think it might be what's hurting her."

Yami's gaze shifted towards Mercury as she was hoisted back to her feet by Jounouchi and Venus.

"What did you do to her?!" He growled.

Mercury's smirk returned, but she gave no response.

Yami latched onto her shoulders, and shook her violently. "What did you do?" He repeated.

"Simple." Mercury responded, keeping her composure. "I poisoned her."

"What?!" Venus shouted, tightening her grip on Mercury's arm.

"It's a perk to having control over the shadows." Mercury explained proudly. "And, unless one of you has the power to control the darkness, there is no cure to the poison."

"What?!" Yami gasped, his gaze shifting back towards Sailor Moon.

"That it," Mercury added, regaining his attention. "Unless you're willing to make me a deal."

Yami eyed her suspiciously, but nodded reluctantly. "Alright. What is it you want?"

"I'll cure your little girlfriend, but you must give me something in return." He gaze shot down, focusing on the object around his neck. "Your Millennium Puzzle, perhaps?"

"Don't!" Sailor Moon cried through her pain. "Don't give it to her! Yami… please…." Another scream tore through her lips and the poison continued to race through her veins. Every inch of her body was practically on fire at this point.

"Oh, I wouldn't move around too much. The more you move, the faster the poison spreads. It won't kill you… yet. You'll be in pain for a long time before it kills you." Mercury said.

Yami stood there, his heart and mind racing as he tried to think of what to do.

"It's your call, Dude." Jounouchi said. "No matter what, I'm tossing this bitch overboard afterwards."

"Jounouchi, stop." Venus snapped. "It's still Ami. This… This _thing_ is just possessing her. It's still her body. She'll feel anything that is done to her body."

"Good to see that Blondie was paying attention." Mercury taunted.

"Well, what else can we do at this point?" Yami asked, ignoring Mercury. "It's either someone dies, or I leave Yugi. I'd rather hand over the Puzzle than watch her suffer."

"Good boy." Mercury continued the smirk still present on her face. "Now, be a dear and have your friends let me go."

"Hell no!" Venus spat. "Yami, we're not letting you do this. I'd rather take my chances with the doctor figuring out what to do than hand over your Item to the enemy."

"That's right." Jounouchi added in agreement. "Don't give her anything."

"But-."

"But nothing!" Sailor Earth said, standing up and strolling over to Yami's side. "Venus, Jounouchi, hand her over to me. I'll take care of her. You need to get Sailor Moon to the doctor. He at the very least will be able to give her something to numb the pain."

"You won't save her." Mercury said as she was handed off to Sailor Earth. "She'll die by the time this tournament is over!"

"Not if we have anything to do about it." Jounouchi countered, quickly striding over to Sailor Moon. Yami followed after him, each of them gently taking a hold of her shoulder.

Taking the ribbon from her waste, Sailor Earth whipped it to her left. With a small, bright light, she and Mercury disappeared.

As Usagi leaned against her supporting shoulders, her head rested against Yami's arm. He pain had numbed slightly, but her body still burned.

"Yami…. I'm sorry." She whispered, nearly on the verge of tears.

Yami shushed her brushing away her bangs from her eyes with his free hand. "Don't apologize… It's not your fault. And save your energy. You're going to need it."

Usagi nodded, her eyelids suddenly becoming heavy.

"Yami… I… In case I don't wake up tomorrow…. I want you to know…. I'm sorry about that kiss earlier. And I'm sorry for falling asleep on your couch…."

"Usagi… Those were all accidents." Yami said. "Just stop. You're tiring yourself out."

"That's just it though…. Part of it wasn't an accident. Part of me didn't regret the accidents… and I just wanted to apologize. I feel like… I've started something that will only end badly for us….. Especially now… and… I'm…."

With those last strands of words, Usagi slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, that was that chapter. Yes, I know it's a bit shorter than last time, but it was one of those "kind of filler" yet "kind of important" chapters that needed to be a bit shorter. But, despite this chapter's length, let me know what you guys think!_**

**_I'm really happy with how this turned out, and I'm especially pleased with how I wrote Mercury. _**

**_Next chapter will feature a very special event: The Revelation of the Sailor Scouts!_**

**_Don't miss it!_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_**

- **_Rowan Cousland_**


	26. 25: Sword and Shield

Chapter 25

Sword and Shield

**_"I just need you to wake up. I'm gonna need you to save us, and take me home." – Malukah, "Frozen Sleep"_**

Mina sprinted down the hallway, ripping her mask from her face as she reached the door she'd been searching for. She took in a few deep breaths before straightening herself out, and knocking on the door.

"Kaiba, open up!" she called, checking her reflection in the door to ensure that she was no longer in her Scout uniform.

She stood there for a few moments, waiting for a response. Upon receiving none, she knocked on the door again.

"Kaiba! Seriously, open the door!" She called, a little louder than the last.

The moments ticked by slowly, and Mina's patience was already worn to dust. She brought up her hand, and began pounding on the door.

"Kaiba, you better open this god damn door right now before I tear it down! You hear me?!"

The sudden hissing of the door was the only response she'd needed.

"Finally!" Mina sighed. "Listen to me, Kaiba. I need your help. We-."

She paused, taking notice of the man standing in front of her.

He wasn't dressed in any fancy silk pajamas with rolls of money stuffed into the pockets like she thought he would be. She'd had that preconception in mind the moment she'd met him.

He was wearing a pair of baggy grey sweat pants, and hand one hand tucked into the pocket of them. Mina's eyes trailed up, seeing that he'd gone to bed without a shirt on. Her eyes lingered for a moment, taking note of his toned, obviously worked out abdomen.

His free hand was running through his ruffled hair, pushing it back from his eyes. His eyes, though exhausted, weren't holding their cold gaze like they usually did.

But that changed when his eyes settled on Mina.

"What the-? You've got to be kidding me! Do you have any idea what time it is, Blondie?! Some of us actually need to sleep on this blimp!"

"I… I uh…. I…." Mina stammered, her brain suddenly frying. She was completely lost in the man standing in the doorway, despite his rude comments toward her.

"Look, I don't have time for whatever nonsense you're trying to bring up here, Blondie. Now if you'll excuse me, I-."

"We need your doctor." Mina blurted, casting her eyes down to the floor. "Usagi's been injured and we need your doctor."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until the morning." Kaiba said, stepping away from the door. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to bed. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Kaiba!" Mina called out, pushing her hand out to stop the automatic door from closing. "Please?" Her voice cracked, another assault of tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "I'm begging you."

Kaiba stopped in his tracks, turning on his heel to face Mina again.

Slowly, the girl slid to her knees. "Please… She's dying…. We need help! I-I can't… I need… If she dies, then I…. Oh my god, I can't do this….. Just please… Get her help. Please!"

Kaiba eyed the girl for a moment, feeling a genuine pang of pity press against his heart. Her words showed that something serious was going on, and she was nowhere near exaggerating.

"Mina…" He said, using her name for the first time. It didn't seem right to him. She was his rival's cousin, and he never thought he'd show any relative of Jounouchi's any ounce of respect.

But he did. He quickly strolled over to her, and dropped down to his knees. He placed his hands on her shoulders, straightening her out once again.

"Mina, listen to me. Tell me where she is, and I'll send the doctor right away. Alright? Just…. Stop crying. You'll stain my carpet."

Mina looked up at him for a moment, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You're such an ass." She muttered, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "But you've got a big heart."

"Yeah, well, don't let it get around." Kaiba mumbled, rising to his feet. "I've got a reputation to keep up."

"Right." Mina stated, rising to her feet again. "Well… Thank you, for what it's worth."

"Whatever. You've got your help. Now, I'd like to get some sleep."

"As you wish your highness." Mina muttered bitterly, waving her hand dismissively as she walked away.

Suddenly, her mind snapped back to what she'd been doing, and she raced back towards Usagi's room.

* * *

><p>"I hope you realize that you're friend is very lucky, Sailor Mars." Yami stated, his anger now shining through. "I should've killed her for what she's done."<p>

"I'm glad you didn't." Mars replied, leaning up against the door to Ryou's room. She could hear things being thrown around, and growls of an angry girl from behind the steel. "She's not like this… I don't know what's happened to her, but that thing in there is not Ami."

"You say that as if you know her." Yami said, hinting that he was starting to piece together the girls' secrets.

"Well… I, uh… You see it's…" Rei stammered, her face turning bright red. "I…. Oh, forget it. You've caught us. I don't even want to know what tipped you off."

Yami gave a small smile. "What can I say? I'm very observant."

Rei scoffed at that. "Some good that's done us."

An eyebrow rose on Yami's face as his gaze shifted towards her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you say you're observant; but you couldn't even tell that not one, not two, but three people have been lying to us through their teeth." Rei explained. "If you ask me, you observational skills are crap."

"Why the sudden bitterness towards me, Rei?" Yami asked.

Rei shut her eyes, fighting back her own set of tears that formed in her eyes. "When Usagi talked about you, and you're supposed past, she talked about how you were this powerful and wonderful pharaoh. She admired you, to put it lightly…. But, I don't see why. I look at you and I don't see this powerful being…"

Yami's eyes widened, her words striking a chord. "I… I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Rei spun on her heel, clenching her fists. "If you were some powerful pharaoh, why can't you save her!?" She cried, her voice rising in volume. "Why can't you cure her from that poison!? Why couldn't you save her?!"

Yami turned away, leaning against the wall once again. "I… I can't answer that, Rei." He admitted. He glanced down at his hands, as if he could conjure up some answer through them. "I don't know why I can't. In all honesty, I _was_ that powerful ruler Usagi talked about. From what little I remember, I was a strong leader that everyone came to. I was the healer of all wounds. I was the listener of all cries. I could bend the shadows, and the minds of my enemies.

"When I first connected with Yugi, I had saved him, Jounouchi, and Honda from a ruthless bully at their school. He threatened to kill them, and I wouldn't have any of it. I drove him to insanity with a Shadow Game, exposing the greed and evil that corrupted him. According to Yugi, he's still going through intense medical treatment to undo the damage.

"But that was what I did. I played God. I punished those that tormented and harmed Yugi and his friends. I brought men and women to their knees, twisting their minds to rid them of their corruption. Some recovered with no memory of the Games. Others still are drooling, dribbling heaps of insanity. Some…. Some are no longer here today because they couldn't stand what they saw…."

Yami hesitated at that, a pang of guilt squeezing at his heart. Rei immediately regretted saying anything, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"My god… I'm sorry. I didn't-."

"No, it's alright." Yami said, taking a deep breath. "Who I am now, and what I was before are two totally different people…. But, let me finish my story.

"There came a time where I crossed a formidable foe. This man could wield shadows, just as I could. But he could remove souls from people's bodies, something I couldn't do. During Duelist Kingdom, he ambushed Yugi and his friends, taking their souls and sealing them away in different Duel Monster cards. With Yugi separated from me, I took over his body and challenged the man to a Shadow Game. Throughout the duel, Yugi and his friends had taken the form of the Duel Monsters cards they'd been trapped in. They had faith in me, and showed me a compassion that I hadn't seen in many years. They taught me friendship, and love.

"From that day forward, I never used my powers of the Shadow Games for evil. I never destroyed another mind, and no more blood stained my hands. I'd changed." Yami concluded, clenching his hands. "That, Rei, is why I believe I no longer have the power Usagi speak of. When I changed, so did my ability. My control over the shadows grows weaker almost every day."

"But… It could come back, right?" Rei asked. "If you started using it more often, couldn't it come back?"

A small, sad smile graced Yami's lips. "I'm not sure… I don't know if that's something I'd even want… Would you want to use a power that changes who you are?"

Rei sighed, leaning back against the door. "I already do." She mumbled.

Yami wasn't able to catch on to her words. He was too busy taking note of Sailor Earth jogging her way towards them.

"The doctor put her on some anesthetics. She passed out about a minute ago. If you want to go see her, you can."

Yami's eyes widened, breaking out into a sprint past her. "Thank you!" He said quickly, making his way down the hallway.

Sailor Earth shifted her gaze towards Rei. "If you want, you can go too."

Rei nodded, striding past Sailor Earth and following Yami. She stopped halfway, turning to glance at Sailor Earth. "You never did tell us who you were, by the way."

A smile spread across the earthen scout's face. "You're right. I didn't." She replied, not leaving any implications that she would tell anytime soon. "You're friend is waiting for you, Rei. Go to her."

Rei nodded once again, turning to begin her trek down the hallway.

All the while, the question of how this new scout knew her name never even came to Rei's mind.

* * *

><p>Mako's eyes snapped open at the sound of screams erupting in her mind. She shot up in her bed, panting heavily with sweat beading off of her face.<p>

She took a moment to relax, running her hands over her face to wake herself up fully and ward off the nightmares she'd just endured. Slowly, she stood up from her bed, and strolled over to her mirror above her dresser.

"I had the weirdest dream…" She whispered to herself, a habit that had come with living alone for the past couple of years. She looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, running her fingers through her tangle of brown waves.

"I dreamt that I was a part of this Duel Monsters tournament, and I lost… Strangest thing, though. I lost my soul because I'd lost the game."

She stared at her reflection for the longest time, almost if she expected it to answer her. She grabbed for her hair bauble on the dresser, and tied her hair back into her traditional ponytail.

"Well, no use worrying about it now. Better get ready for my day. No doubt the girls will be waiting for me at the shrine."

For a moment, the realization that she'd been talking to herself the entire time had sunk in. She sighed to herself as she dressed in her simple t-shirt and jeans combo.

"I need to get a cat, or something." She mumbled. "Or, maybe a dog or a hamster. Bottom line: I can't keep talking to myself like this."

She slipped her socks on, slung her purse over her shoulder, and strolled over to her bedroom door.

Upon exiting her room, an odd chill washed over her. She shrugged it off at first, dismissing it as some newfound paranoia. But as she cross the floor of her apartment, and made her way to her front door, the feeling refused to leave her be.

She shook her head, and laced up her tennis shoes. She was clearly shaken up by that stupid dream she'd had, and it was nothing else.

With a smile on her face at this deduction, her fished her key out of her purse and exited her apartment. With her back still to the hallway, she locked her front door.

Before she even turned around she knew something was amiss. She couldn't hear Mr. Akita's children running up and down the hallways like they did every morning. She couldn't hear the sound of Miss Niigata's television, or Mr. and Mrs. Kyoto's radio broadcasts that were always on at this time. She couldn't smell Mrs. Watanabe's apple pies baking down the hall.

Something wasn't right.

She spun on her heel, not knowing what to expect to behind her. Needless to say, she never would've begun to guess what she saw.

She stood within the aisle way of a coach cabin in an airplane. The moment she'd realized this, her knees had grown weak, and her breathing shortened. Fear gripped her like an iron claw.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A cheerful voice spoke to her. She turned on her heel to see a stewardess standing next to her with a wide grin across her face. "I'm going to have to ask you to take your seat. We'll be landing soon."

"I…. I'm not suppo-." Mako stammered, unsure of what to say to this woman.

Suddenly, a man bumped into Mako's shoulder, causing her to stumble backwards. He stopped, taking a hold of her arm, and pulling her back to her feet. "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am." He said with his deep, smooth voice. He had jet black hair, and bright, shining green eyes that Mako would recognize anywhere. Her breath caught in her throat, and she immediately lost all words.

"I-I-….. I'm-…." No matter how hard she could try, she couldn't form a single coherent word. The man looked at her curiously.

"Are you alright, Miss?" He asked. "You look a bit shaken, like you've seen a ghost or something."

"Takahiro!" Another female voice piped. The man turned to settle his gaze on a woman sitting in the front row of the cabin. "Takahiro, get back over here!"

"In a minute, Chouko!" The man responded. He turned back towards Mako and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Will you be alright, Miss? Would you like to sit with me and my wife?"

"She's been in the bathroom this entire time." The stewardess replied. "I think she might be a bit airsick."

"N-No!" Mako finally managed to squeak out. "I… I'm fine. Thank you. I will take you up on that offer though, Sir. If you don't mind of course."

The man smiled, patting her shoulder. "Of course. Chouko and I would be more than happy to share our seats with you. But, please, don't be so formal. My name is Takahiro, as you heard before. Could I ask you yours?"

Before she's known it, Mako was led to the seats that Takahiro and Chouko were offering to her.

"Um… My name is Mako." She replied, sitting down in the open seat.

Chouko's appearance was the exact opposite of her husband's. Her eyes were a clear, bright blue, and her hair was a beautiful dark brown. But, much like her husband, she had a wide, cheerful smile, and a kind attitude.

"So, where are you from Mako?" Chouko asked.

"I was born in Osaka." Mako replied, a smile appearing on her face. "My parents travel a lot, so I've been all over the place."

"Oh really?" Takahiro asked. "Our child was born in Osaka. She normally comes with us on our business trips, but she wanted to stay with her grandmother in Tokyo this time."

"It's a good thing she did to." Chouko added. "The poor thing would've been bored out of her mind. There was absolutely nothing for a ten-year-old to do. I fell asleep myself during some of the meetings."

Mako chuckled, glancing down at her clasped hands. "Yeah, my parents' meetings got pretty boring. I used to sneak into the staff lounge and steal cookies that were supposed to be served afterwards."

A peal of laughter escaped Chouko's lips. "Oh, our little girl did the exact same thing. One time, we caught her curled up on a couch in the staff lounge. She had chocolate smeared all over her face, and cookie crumbles clenched in her little fists." She let out a small sigh. "She had a stomach ache for weeks, the poor baby. I blame the girl for being bored, either."

A smile tugged at the corners of Mako's mouth. "Your daughter sounds like quite the trouble maker."

"Oh, believe me, she is." Takahiro piped up, slipping his hand into his pocket. "I think I still have that picture of her after our trip to Australia…. Ah ha! Here it is." He passed the folded up photograph to Mako.

Mako unfolded the photo with numb fingers, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes as she looked at it. Staring back at her was a little girl with brown, curly pigtails. Her eyes were a bright green that sparkled with mischief. Her wide smile was missing a few teeth, one from getting into a fist fight with one of the neighborhood boys, and the other from falling out of a tree in her grandmother's backyard. They were all baby teeth, so there was no actual harm done. She wore a blue baseball cap and held a stuffed kangaroo in her hands.

Mako folded up the photo, and handed it back to Takahiro. "She's… She's beautiful. I'm sure she'll grow up to be a beautiful woman."

"I can only hope so." Chouko chuckled. "Our little Makoto gets into so much trouble. All the boys are afraid of her! But I know she'll mature…."

Chouko paused, something finally coming to mind upon mentioning her daughter's name. "Wait… You said your name is Mako, right? Isn't that short for-."

The lights suddenly flickered, causing a few gasps from the passengers. A sudden jolt to the left forced some passengers from their seats and to the floor.

"Attention passengers, we are experiencing some electrical malfunctions at the moment. Please remain in you seats, and remain calm. Everything will be under control." The voice of the pilot crackled over the loudspeaker.

Chouko panicked, quickly reaching for her husband's hand as another jolt jerked the plane to the right. She reached out to grab onto Mako as she tumbled to the floor. Mako pushed the hand away.

"Chouko, Takahiro, I need you to listen to me." Mako said, rising to her feet. "I want you to know, that no matter what, Makoto loves you. No matter what she'd said before you left, or how many times she's slammed the door on you and said she's hated you, she's loved you. She'll never stop loving you… Ever." Tears ran down Mako's face as the plane jerked to the right yet again. Bags tucked away in the luggage compartments flew out, clattering to the floor.

"How do you know all of this?" Takahiro demanded, his eyes widened in panic.

"Because….. Because your daughter is me." Mako replied, her words choked back with her sobs. "I'm Makoto Kino… And I love you both, so much."

Suddenly, Mako felt as if hands were latching onto her, sinking knife-like nails into her skin. She stood frozen in place as the world around her crumbled into chaos.

The invisible hands dragged Mako from her place on the plane, pulling her through the walls of the machine as if she was a spirit. She couldn't fight back against the hands as much as she tried. Every muscle in her body was completely frozen.

She watched in horror as the plane holding her parents, and so many others, stalled in the air, and plummeted to the ocean below.

Mako released a broken, animalistic scream as she witnessed her parent's death.

The hands holding her yank back on her body, pulling on her until they were no longer in their previous scene.

Mako was now standing in, what could only be described as, never-ending blackness. Her strength suddenly returned to her body, and she immediately used it to fight the hands holding her.

The nails tore through her clothes, leaving long gashes in the fabric, and in her skin. Mako released a broken, guttural scream as she thrashed and broke the hold of the agonizing hands.

"Let me go!" She screamed, kicking out, and throwing her body into her assailant.

"LET ME GO!"

* * *

><p>Jounouchi's head lifted up from his hands as Mako's heart monitor suddenly beeped with a large spike. Mako thrashed and shook in her bed, flailing her arms as she did so. Her monitor was off the charts within a manner of seconds.<p>

"Oh no!" Jounouchi mutter, quickly jogging into the hallway. "Can I get the doctor in here?!" He called.

Within Usagi's room, Kaiba's doctor heard Jounouchi's call. His gaze shifted to the few that had gathered in the blonde's room.

"I'll be right back." He said, reaching for his bag. He quickly made his way into the next room.

Shizuka quickly stood up. "I'm going with him." She said.

"I am too." Mai added, claiming that she was going for Shizuka's sake.

Yami sighed, placing his head in his hands as they left. Honda placed a comforting hand on his shoulders.

"Hey, it's alright man. Everything is going to be alright."

"Why don't you go get some rest?" Otogi suggested. "We can watch over her."

"No." Yami replied, shaking his head. "No, I'm fine. Honestly… I need to be here. Just in case there's something I can do."

His gaze shifted to the unconscious girl laying in the bed across from him. Her clothing hadn't changed back to normal yet, so it hadn't been revealed who she really was.

Not yet at least.

"So, can someone at least explain to me what went on up there?" Honda asked. "Why are the Sailor Scouts here all of a sudden?"

His gaze shifted to Rei, the only scout, aside from Sailor Earth, who hadn't transformed back yet.

Rei bit her lip, unsure of how to respond. But, just as she'd had an idea, Shizuka and Mai returned to the room.

"He kicked us out!" Mai exclaimed, crossing her arms. "What a jerk! They give you a medical license, and you think you can boss anybody around!"

Otogi sighed, slapping his palm to his forehead at Mai's remark, while Honda refrained from laughing.

"Well, now that everyone's here," Mina piped up. "I think it's time we let the 'cat out of the bag'. So to speak."

Rei nodded, lifting her hands up to her face. "Alright. You all have questions as to why we're here. There's no doubt about that. But… In order to do that, we must first reveal who we are."

"What are you talking about?" Shizuka asked.

Rei shut her eyes, peeling the mask from her face. In a blast of bright light, her clothes had transformed back into her jeans, blouse, and vest. Mina dug into her pocket to retrieve her transformation pen, and held it out to show the crowd. Rei did the same, and strolled over to Usagi to remove her mask.

With three of the four remaining scouts revealed, pieces of the puzzle began to click together. A barrage of light bulbs lit up as the look of shock crossed everyone's face.

Mina clasped her hands in front of her, and strode to stand by Rei and Usagi. "Everyone," She said, releasing a heavy sigh. "Rei, Mako, Ami, Usagi, and I aren't exactly who you believed us to be… We're the Sailor Scouts."

"All this time, we've been undercover here." Rei added. "We face a reoccurring threat in Tokyo, and a few days ago that threat moved here."

"Usagi, Mako and I aren't really tournament winning duelists. We entered fake information into the databases so we could enter Battle City." Mina concluded. "I know some of you are probably angry with us. Believe me, we understand. But please, take a moment to try and see this through our eyes before you say anything.

The room was silent for a good three minutes before anything was said. It was Mai who stepped forward, hesitant with what to say.

"So… You guys run around, fighting evil in those Sailor dresses?" She concluded.

The girls nodded in response.

Shizuka stepped forward with a giant smile across her face. "That's so cool!" She exclaimed. "You're like super heroes!"

"You guys get to fight crime, and you're on the new pretty much every night!" Honda added, his own smile plastered on his face.

"Not to mention," Mai added. "You're outfits are absolutely adorable! I'm jealous!"

Rei blushed at their reactions, and Mina beamed at their approval.

"So.. You're not angry?" Rei asked.

"Hell no!" Otogi replied. "This is badass! Our friends are super heroes!"

"And, that's just the thing," Honda added. "We're your friends. We've got your backs."

"Besides, do you see all the weird crap we deal with on a regular basis?" Otogi asked. "You guys being the Sailor Scouts is just a small addition to the crazy train."

"Hey, guys?" Yami said, taking note of the sudden spikes in Usagi's heart monitor. Like Mako, she'd begun to thrash and flail.

"Oh god!" Mina gasped, running to the door. "Doctor! We've got a problem!"

"He's busy with Mako!" Otogi shouted, running to rummage through the cabinets the doctor had stocked with medicine and first aid items.

Yami took a firm hold of Usagi's hand, his palms sweaty with fear.

"Usagi? Usagi listen to me…." He spoke quietly. "Usagi if you can hear me, I need you to relax. You're hurting yourself! Just… Please… wherever you are right now, rest… Please…" Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, trailing down his face.

* * *

><p>As Mako broke free from the hands holding her grasp, she found herself standing in Usagi's room. She saw Otogi and Honda raiding through different cabinets. Shizuka was in the other room, begging the doctor to help Usagi, and Mai was standing in the corner of Mako's room. Her hands were clasped and pressed against her lips, almost as if she was praying.<p>

Rei and Mina stood off to the side of the room, each of them panicking on the idea of what to do next.

Mako slowly stepped towards Usagi seeing the shard of glass-like ice protruding from her friend's shoulder. Mako gasped, pressing her hand to her mouth.

Tears rolled down her cheeks at the sight of her friend, and the man clinging to her.

Mako reached out, brushing her fingertips across her friend's cold, pale cheeks. She was dying, Mako could tell that much.

Hesitating, Mako's hand trailed to the shard sticking out of Usagi's shoulder. With a light, gentle touch, Mako pressed her fingers against it.

A flurry of visions passed across her mind. She saw Ami's transformation into Dark Mercury. She saw the arrival of Sailor Earth. She saw the attack that had led Usagi to the state.

But, above all, she saw a cure.

With her gaze shifting to Yami, she reached out and touched his hand.

Yami gazed up at Mako, his eyes widening. "M-Mako? Is that you?" He whispered.

Mako nodded. "Listen, I don't have a lot of time to explain. I know what happened, and I know how you can save Usagi."

"What?! You do? How?!" Yami asked, his tone rising in volume slightly.

"Dude? Who are you talking to?" Otogi asked, establishing that no one else in to room could see Mako's spirit.

"N-Nobody." Yami replied. "Don't worry about me. Just keep trying to find those painkillers!" he then nodded to Mako, allowing her to continue.

"You're the only one who can control the shadows. You're the only one that can save her, Yami. Call on the shadows, and have them stop the poison. Then, when you're ready, pull the ice from Usagi's shoulder. Once the blade leaves her body, so will the poison."

"I can't…" Yami whispered. "I can't do it. I'm not… I'm not strong enough."

"You are!" Mako retorted, taking his hand and placing it on his chest. "Your powers didn't leave you. Ask Rei if you don't believe me. Each and every one of us has felt this odd sense of power around you since the finals started. Something has kicked up your powers again. That has to be it!"

Yami glanced down at his hand, giving her a nod. "I… I understand. But, what is it you want me to do?"

"Find whatever it is that is kicking up your powers, and tap into it. Use it as your strength, at least for now. Trust me, Yami…. I don't know how I know all of this, but I know that you can do this."

Yami nodded, returning his grip to Usagi's slender hands. "Thank you, Mako… I will try to do as you say. I promise… But… If none of this works out…. Just know that I'm sorry."

Mako returned the nod, pulling her hands away from him. "It's not your fault Yami. You just keep fighting for as long as you can, and I'll do the same."

"Take care, Mako." Yami added as the brunette began to retreat. "Stay safe… Please."

Before she left, Mako strolled over to Usagi again. She placed her hand over her friend's heart and took a deep breath.

"Usagi, if you can hear me… I need you to wake up…. Please." Tears spilled from Mako's eyes as she whispered her encouragement. "I need you to wake up. You need to save the world, and graduate from High School, remember? You need to learn how to make that cheesecake Naru tried teaching you to make. You need to go to prom, and travel the world. You need to go to college, hook up with some nice boy, and get married. Remember?

"So please, if anything Usagi, just wake up…. Do it for me… You've still got all these amazing things you want to do. You promised me you'd get your grades up…. Please… If I can't wake up, you should at the very least."

And with that said, Mako's hand slid back down to her side, and the same hands from before returned their hold on her, and pulled her back into darkness.

**_"Feel the madness taking over, while you lay in Frozen Sleep. Though my life's now fading, you're still a promise I will keep…_**

**_You'll always be, my sword, my shield." – Malukah, "Frozen Sleep"_**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: and that, folks, is chapter 25! As usual, let me know what you guys think! I know some of you are wondering "What about Sailor Earth? Why hasn't she been revealed?"**

**Well, fear not my loyal readers! Though, I can't guarantee her identity will be revealed in the next chapter, it will absolutely be revealed by at least Chapter 28. I promise.**

**But, before I close out this heart-wrenching chapter, I do have some things I need to say. If you're wondering what Mako's parents look like, I have links to their appearances up on my profile.**

**Also, if you liked the song quotes that were featured in this chapter, I suggest going onto Youtube and checking it out! And, if you fall in love with Malukah, as I have, I'd suggest subscribing to her! She's absolutely AMAZING!**

**Keep it classy my beautiful, wonderful readers.**

**Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox**

**- Rowan Cousland**


	27. 26: A Brand New Day

Chapter 26

A Brand New Day

_"I'm waking up, the world is turning. The sun is shining again, I'm holding on." – Fireflight "Brand New Day"_

Anzu released a heavy sigh as she made her way down the hallway towards Mamoru's room. Her body ached, and screamed for her to find rest sometime soon. She knew she'd have bruises in the morning.

As the door to the room opened up, Anzu was greeted with the sight of Mamoru, Ishizu, stacks of books, and food.

Mamoru turned in his seat to see who had opened the door, and immediately jumped up from his seat.

"Hey, we've been waiting for you." Mamoru said, stepping towards her. "I practically raided to kitchen, and when I got back you weren't here."

Anzu's face broke out into a horrible blush upon realizing how long she'd been away. How was she going to explain everything to them?

"I… Right, sorry about that. I had to make a quick bathroom trip, and then I got caught up with all of the commotion."

"What commotion?" Mamoru asked.

"You didn't hear? Usagi got hurt up on the top deck. Everyone was piled up in her room, and I guess I went to join them. I'm sorry I didn't say anything." Anzu replied, her eyes falling to the floor. She was a horrible liar, and she hoped nobody noticed.

A smile broke out on Ishizu's face. "Well, all that matters is that you're alright. You must be starving, though. We saved plenty of food for you."

Anzu nodded, striding towards the coffee table. She sat herself down, and grabbed for a bag of chips and an orange juice.

While she ate, Mamoru's gaze never left her. He knew that there was something wrong with her, and the story she told him. As the sleeve of her shirt moved ever so slightly, Mamoru got his answer.

"Anzu, you're all bruised." Mamoru pointed out, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "What happened?"

A lump formed in Anzu's throat as she struggled to swallow her food. Her eyes widened, and she immediately lost all words. She didn't think the bruises would show up so early.

"I… I uh… It's…"

"Mamoru, she's had a rough night." Ishizu spoke, slowly rising to her feet. "Just let her finish her food and get some rest. Your questioning isn't helping her much."

"I… You're right." Mamoru sighed, retreating his hand and leaning back into his spot on the couch. "I'm sorry, Anzu."

Anzu smiled at him, secretly sighing that her cover hadn't been blown. "It's alright, Mamoru. I probably got them from when I collapsed earlier, or something." She shrugged at that, chugging down the rest of her juice, and munching away at her chips. Once she was finished, she stretched out her legs, and slowly began to stand up.

"Thank you for the food, and the hospitality." Anzu said. "But, I think I'm ok enough to sleep in my own room, if that's alright with you."

"I can walk you, Anzu, if you'd like." Mamoru said, jumping to his feet quickly.

Anzu collided into his chest suddenly, not feeling that something that had been tucked away into her shirt had slipped free and clattered to the floor.

Anzu blushed, taking a quick step back. "I, uh… Sorry Mamoru. I wasn't paying attention… Uh, you really don't have to escort me. I appreciate it, but I'll be alright. Thank you, though."

Mamoru smiled, giving her a nod. "I understand. Don't worry about it."

Anzu nodded, and strode over to the door. As it slid open, she turned around and gave a small wave goodbye. "Goodnight, Mamoru. Goodnight, Ishizu."

"Goodnight, Dear." Ishizu replied, giving a warm smile.

"Night, Anzu." Mamoru added, a sudden glint of gold catching the corner of his eye.

Almost ten minutes after Anzu left, and Ishizu retired to her bed, Mamoru knelt down to examine the gold object that had been bothering him.

Upon picking up the object, he realized that it was a purple and gold pen, with a golden oval on the top, and an odd looking cross symbol branded across the oval.

He turned it over between his fingers, faint memories crossing his mind as he did so. This looked so familiar to him, but he couldn't even begin to explain why.

Shrugging, he simply stuck it into his shirt pocket and decided he'd return it to Anzu in the morning.

With a sigh, he sprawled himself across the couch and stared at the ceiling.

All the while, before the bliss of sleep took him, he couldn't seem to get Anzu off of his mind.

* * *

><p>When Mako's spirit had faded, both hers and Usagi's bodies had settled back down into their relaxed state. Kaiba's doctor had decided to take up a seat in the hallway as to keep an eye on the two girls, and be able to easily dash between rooms if needed.<p>

The rest of the group had trickled back to their rooms, leaving Yami and Jounouchi to look after the girls.

Yami eventually found himself in Mako's room, watching over Jounouchi with fascination.

The blonde sat as close to Mako's bed as he could possibly get. He held her hand tightly in his, his head hung low. Yami began to wonder if that was how he slept, if at all, since Mako's defeat.

"Jounouchi…" Yami whispered, stepping towards his friend and resting a hand on his shoulder.

Jounouchi stiffened under his friend's touch, and his head jerked in Yami's direction. Upon realizing who it was that was touching him, he relaxed.

"Hey." He greeted, a smile cracking across his lips.

"Jounouchi, why don't you go get some sleep?" Yami suggested, taking note of the black shadows forming under his eyes. "You look like hell."

"You're not looking too good yourself." Jounouchi mumbled, the smile never leaving. "But I'm fine, Yami. I really am."

Yami's eyes widened, realizing that it was the first time Jounouchi had called him by that name. It felt odd, considering that he'd always been called "Yugi" by his friends.

"You… You can tell the difference between us?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "After I think about it for a little bit. I don't know what it is about you… You're a bit more confident than Yugi. Plus, I think it might be something about your eyes. Their always darker, and in some lighting they look red. I always thought I was imagining it before."

Yami smiled at that. "You're not the first to have said that, Jou. Usagi always points it out." His gaze shifted toward Jounouchi's hand, still entwined with Mako's.

"You really care about her, don't you?" Yami stated, pulling up another chair to sit beside Jou.

Jou nodded. "More than anything… I don't know what it is about her, but when I'm around her… I feel like I can be myself. I don't always have to be the tough guy when she's around. I know it seems stupid, considering I've only known her for a few days…. But I feel like I've known her an entire lifetime…. Yami, I think… I think I'm in love with her."

A wide smile spread across Yami's face. "No, it's not stupid at all. I understand completely."

"Let me guess." Jounouchi said, giving Yami a sidelong glance. "Usagi?"

"Was it _that_ obvious?"

"Well, the fact that you had almost no reaction to that little 'accidental kiss' earlier; and that you were about ready to hand over your life, literally, for her kind of gave it away." Jounouchi answered, his smile turning to a grin. "On top of that, you two have…. What the hell does Anzu call it? It's like, chemistry, or something sappy like that. You guys seem to click, you know? Almost like you two were meant to be together."

"Katsuya Jounouchi, are you going soft on us?" Yami asked teasingly. "My, I never thought I'd see the day when you would use the phrase 'you were meant to be.'"

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up." Jounouchi muttered, giving his friend a playful shove. "I'm constantly surrounded by girls nowadays, and it's not like how most guys would see it. You can't help but pick up a few cheesy one-liners."

Yami chuckled, slowly rising to his feet again. "Well, it's getting pretty late. You should consider getting some sleep sometime soon. And by sleep, I mean in an actual bed. You'll feel better."

"You know… I think I just might do that." Jounouchi said, jumping to his feet to follow his friend into the hallway. "There's… really no sense in me waiting around to see if she'll wake up. Marik already said that no one will wake up until he's defeated."

Yami's nodded. "Don't worry, Jou. He _will_ be defeated."

_"I just hope it's soon."_ Yugi added from within his soul room.

Jounouchi smiled, clapping his hand over his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Yami. I really appreciate it."

With that said, the two departed. Jounouchi went back to his room, and Yami returned to Usagi's.

_"Have you been awake this entire time, Yugi?"_

_"Off and on."_ Yugi replied, manifesting his spirit to stand beside Yami. _"I should've said something earlier, but… I guess I just got caught up in all the worry."_

_"It's alright, Yugi. I understand."_ Yami walked over to Usagi's injured shoulder, his fingertips tracing lightly around the ice's edge.

_"Do you think you can do it?"_ Yugi asked. _"Pull the ice out, and stop the poison, I mean."_

_"I… I don't know."_ Yami admitted. _"Everyone else thinks I can but… I'm just too afraid to try. What if I make things worse?"_

_"Yami, there are many things you can do in this world; but, making things worse is not one of them. I know you can do this… I believe in you. Everyone else believes in you. Never forget that, and there's no way you can go wrong. You just need to believe in yourself."_

Yami eyed the ice for one final moment. He took Yugi's words to heart, and took a deep breath.

Quickly, he latched onto the ice. A sharp burning sensation exploded across his skin as he did so. He grit his teeth, shut his eyes, and began to call upon his once great power to aid him.

The burning crept across his arm, almost as if the poison was spreading to him. He prayed, practically begged, to the shadows to answer his call.

Suddenly, another hand joined his and began to pull at the ice.

After hesitating for a moment, Yami opened his eyes to see Yugi attempting to help him. Tears rolled down Yami's cheeks as the burning spread across his shoulders and down his back.

_"I believe in you…"_

The voice rang like a tiny bell in the back of Yami's mind. The same moment that it had, the burning had stopped.

_"I believe in you, my King. Never forget that."_

The voice sounded like that of the woman from his dreams, but hidden within it was a tone he'd grown to know in the past couple of days.

In the back of his mind, he heard Usagi.

Closing his eyes one last time, Yami felt a familiar rush course through his body. Like adrenaline rushing through his veins, the powers of darkness fueled him with an extraordinary strength.

With one final pull, the ice yanked free from Usagi's body.

Yami's eyes shot open, and at the same time Usagi shot up from her sleep.

Shadows danced across the walls, slowly dissipating as Yami fell to his knees. Usagi quickly got up from her bed, and rushed to his side.

The ice slipped from his fingers, and shattered once it hit the floor. The pieces slowly melted into a black liquid, then disappeared all together.

"Yami!" Usagi breathed, looping one arm around his shoulder as he sank to the floor. "Yami, stay with me! Just focus on me, alright?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Yami's lips. "I'm fine, Usagi… Now that you're safe, I'm going to be fine."

Usagi helped him back to his feet and guided him over to her bed. With a team effort, Yami was eventually laying on his back. At this, he released a content sigh.

"You did it, didn't you?" Usagi asked, entwining her hand with his. "You were able to control the shadows."

"Only for a little bit, but it was long enough for me to save you. It took a lot of energy, but I'll be alright."

"I… Thank you, Yami." Usagi replied, biting her thumb nail in an attempt to gather her words. "I really appreciate all that you've done for me….. But I think you should stop."

Yami rolled onto his side, staring at the blonde curiously. "What on earth are you talking about, Usagi?"

"You need to stop worrying about me, Yami." Usagi responded, her tone changing to fit her confidence. "One of these days, you're going to make a mistake because of me. I can't let that happen. We can take this friendship wherever it wants to go, but…. If something happens to me, or if I make a mistake, I need you to put your needs before mine.

"You almost killed yourself trying to save me, tonight. And during our duel with Jounouchi and Mako, you _and_ Yugi both did the exact same thing… It's not that I don't appreciate this, I do, but it's just that…"

Suddenly, a pair of lips came crashing down on hers, stopping her words. Her breath caught in her throat momentarily, and her body froze as two arms wrapped around her.

She relaxed in his embraced, and finally worked up the courage to return his kiss.

Suddenly, a flurry of images crossed their minds at the exact same time.

Two pairs of lips came together, joining in a beautiful and passionate kiss. A hand ran through seemingly endless trails of golden hair. A tiny, pale hand rested upon a tanned cheek, wiping away tears with her thumb.

The last image to cross the two's minds were two pairs of eyes. One pair was a deep, blood red. The other pair was a soft, bright blue.

The two pulled away from the kiss, each of them taking a half-step back.

"You!" the two of them breathed in unison.

"It's been you this entire time!" Yami concluded. "You're the woman from my dreams.

"And that means you're the man I've been dreaming about!" Usagi added, her hand reaching up to her silver moon necklace. "Does this mean… We knew each other in our past lives?"

"Maybe…" Yami replied, his own hand reaching for his necklace. "Maybe that's why you and the girls were brought here in the first place! It wasn't just because of your enemy moving towards Domino. We all knew each other in a past life, and time is bringing us all together again."

"It makes sense." Usagi admitted. "But, the dreams still don't. I mean, it's obvious you're the pharaoh. But…. Was I really a princess?"

"Why is that so hard for you to believe?" Yami chuckled, taking her hand. "You're beautiful, kind-hearted, and strong; that sounds like a princess to me."

"Well, no, I mean… There's only one princess I could even think I was in my dream. But we've already found that prin-." Usagi paused, realizing what she'd just said. It was bad enough that she'd revealed to him that she was a Sailor Scout. If the girls found out that she'd spilled parts of their mission, they'd murder here! "I mean… I, uh… Oh, just… Never mind. I'm thinking about it too much."

Yami smiled, pulling Usagi into another hug. "It's alright. It's nothing you need to worry about. What matters is that we're here now, and everything is beginning to make sense… I'm just glad it happened now, rather than later."

Usagi nodded, falling into his embrace one last time. This is where she knew she belonged, wrapped in his arms.

"Yami…" She said, her mind suddenly drawing blank as she did. There was something she wanted to say to him… But was now the right time?

"Yes?" Yami replied, gazing down at her with his shining eyes.

A lump formed in Usagi's throat, and she lost all train of thought. She took a step back, slowly pulling away from him. "I…. It's getting late. We… We should probably get some rest."

Yami looked at her curiously, wondering what she'd meant to say to him earlier. But he smiled, and nodded at her request. "I guess you're right. Tomorrow is a big day for you."

An eyebrow shot up on Usagi's face. "What? What do you mean?"

"You and Mai are the last contestants left. You two will have the final duel before the Semi finals."

Usagi glanced down at the floor, sifting through her memories to see if he was right. "Did… Did Kaiba win that duel?"

"I guess so." Yami shrugged. "He didn't come stomping down the halls earlier, so I can only assume he did."

Usagi nodded, her eyes drifting back up to gaze at Yami. "Yeah, I guess so." At that, she turned on her heel and grabbed her backpack from the floor. She figured that Rei or Mina had gone to grab it from Yami's room for her while she was unconscious.

"Well… Goodnight, Usagi." Yami said, as he slowly left the room, and began his walk to his own.

A smile crossed Usagi's lips as she quickly changed into her pajamas, closed the blinds on her window, and crawled back into her bed. As she stared up at the ceiling, her fingers came to rest on her pendent once again.

"Goodnight, Yami." She whispered.

Just as her eyes slid shut, and she was just about to fall asleep, her door opened with a mighty hiss. Small clicking noises echoes off of the metal, and Usagi quickly shot up from her bed to see who her nighttime visitor was.

"Usagi?" A small voice spoke, the identity of it obscured by darkness. "You're awake?! You're alright?!"

Usagi released a sigh of relief, instantly recognizing the owner of the voice.

"I'm fine, Luna." She stated with a smile. "Hop up here. I could use the company."

The cat did so, and curled up on Usagi's lap. "You looked as though you had plenty company earlier."

"Yeah, I know…" Usagi said, her mind drifting off. "I… I just need someone here to talk with me for a little bit."

"Usagi, I'm worried about you. Every since Mako lost her soul, you haven't been right. I know you've been trying to hide everything with a smile, or maybe a joke here and there, but you can't. You need to let your feelings be heard. It's the only way you can get this stress, and whatever else, off your chest."

"Luna…. I'm ok, really I am." Usagi insisted. "I just… I need some time to think things through, and get my head on straight. This tournament isn't helping much with it either…. Luna, I think I might have to quit."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just… This tournament is stressing me out. I feel like we've got absolutely nothing done on our mission, and my favorite card game has been turned into a death trap! Not only that, but we have this new Sailor Scout and, as always, I can't tell is she's a friend or not. It's frustrating me, and I can't take it anymore. I need a break. I need to rest…. I can't…. I can't keep up with all of this."

Luna padded closer to Usagi until she was resting between her owner's arm and chest. "Usagi, I'm sorry. Artemis and I thought that this tournament would be fun for you girls. We thought it would help ease your minds a bit before you began investigating the town. We didn't think it would end up like this."

"Of course not." Usagi said, rolling onto her side. "No one could've predicted this… I just think it would be easier for me if I dropped out. Besides, it's not like I deserve to be here anyway. Mai deserves the slot in the Semi Finals more than I do. She's more qualified, and she's actually won tournaments."

"If… It that's what you want, Usagi, I won't argue with you. I would say that you should at least duel with Mai, and see how everything turns out. Maybe you really do deserve that spot."

"Maybe…. I'll think about it. Right now, I just want to get some sleep. I'm exhausted."

Luna smiled, resting her head on her paws. "Alright, Usagi. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Luna."

The next morning, Usagi awoke with a smile on her face. The sun streaked through the blinds across her window.

Usagi stretched, giving off a loud yawn. With her newfound happiness, she jumped up from her bed, and quickly got dressed.

She had a feeling that today was going to be good.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: So, this chapter was a tad bit shorter than usual; but that was because I have a request of you, yes you, my loyal readers! I've reached a point when I'm unsure of what to do in my story. So, here are two things I'd like to know._**

**_1.) _****_Should Usagi drop out of the tournament; or should I have her compete against Mai?_**

**_2.) _****_Should I carry on into Season 3, where everyone is trapped in the virtual world; or should I skip over it entirely, act like it never existed, and finish up Battle City? (like the manga)_**

**_Personally I'd like to skip over Noah's virtual world because I hate it with a flaming passion, but I'd like to know what you guys would like to see._**

**_Leave your votes as a review! This will really help me gather my thoughts, and my wits._**

**_Until next time, stay beautiful my readers!_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_**

**_-Rowan Cousland_**


	28. 27: The Painful Truth

Chapter 27  
>The Painful Truth<p>

_"Can we see beyond the stars, and make it to the dawn?" – Daughtry, "What About Now"_

Mina sat at the island counter in the kitchen, leaning over it with her head resting in her hands. The room was heart-wrenchingly quiet. There wasn't the sound of Mako working furiously at the stove top, or Ami quietly scolding Usagi for pouring large amounts of sugar into her cereal. There weren't any arguments between Usagi and Rei, and there wasn't any of Luna's reprimanding.

Mina gave a heavy sigh. It hurt to be reminded of all the pain and loss that had come out of this tournament. She was thankful that it would all end in the next couple of days. She was positive that she never wanted to see another Duel Monster's card for as long as she lived.

A faint beeping pulled the blonde's attention towards the coffee pot, finally finishing her liquid energy for the day. Sluggishly, she strolled over to the pot and poured herself a cup. After adding some creamer, and a little bit of sugar, she took a sip of it.

A faint smile crossed her lips as the warmth washed over her. It reminded her that she was still physically there. That she wasn't numb and lifeless. As a downside, it also reminded her that none of this was just some bad dream.

"Good morning, Mina." A small voice spoke, returning Mina's smile.

"Morning, Artemis."

"Did you sleep well?"

Mina shrugged, setting her mug down on the counter. "I guess so. I feel rested, so that's a start."

"Are you alright?" The white cat asked, cocking his head to the side. "You don't seem… Well, yourself."

"Honestly, Artemis, I just want all of this to be over. I don't want to keep waking up every morning wondering what other friend I'm going to lose. Rei and I are the only ones left… Well, except this new scout. But I'm not-."

"New scout?" Artemis questioned. "What new scout?"

"You didn't-." Mina paused. "That's right; you and Luna went back to my room after you led us to the top deck. You didn't get to see her. This new scout showed up last night. She called herself Sailor Earth."

"That's odd. I don't remember a Sailor Earth… Do you think this girl might be an enemy?"

Mina sighed. "I'm not sure… I feel like I should know these things. I feel like I should be able to tell, but I can't! I mean, what kind of princess am I supposed to be if I can't tell who my friends are! I should've been able to see that Ami wasn't looking right, or that Malik was lying through his damn teeth the entire time!"

She slammed a fist into the counter, her chest heaving with a sudden anger towards the situation, anger towards herself. "Or how about everyone we're supposed to trust has turned against us; how come I couldn't tell that? Why can't I see that this tournament was a horrible idea? Artemis… What's wrong with me!? Am I really not the Princess? Am I just some dried up nobody that is playing some childish game?"

"Mina, calm down!" Artemis cried, inching closer to his owner. "Mina, I may have been wrong about certain things in the past, but I _am not_ wrong about you. You _are_ the Princess. You _are_ strong. You're not blind. You're not some dried up nobody… You just need time to grow and get used to this idea, Mina. You're not superhuman, and there's no way you could've been able to predict all those betrayals. It's not your fault…."

A tear slid down Mina's cheek and she drags her hand off of the counter. "Artemis… I just want to go home. I want to go back to fighting the Dark Kingdom; at least then, I know who my enemy is. I want to keep searching for the Rainbow Crystals, so we can finally find the Silver Crystal. I just… I just…" She broke off, wiping away tears from her eyes. "God I'm such a baby. I need to stop this."

Artemis gave a sad smile. "You're a teenager, Mina. You're a human being with emotions. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Mina's lips slowly curled into a smile, and she stepped forward to scoop the cat into her arms. "Thank you, Artemis. I really appreciate the pep talks."

"It's the least I can do, Mina. You-." Artemis paused, staring at the door.

"What? What is it, Artemis?"

"M-Mina?"

Mina froze upon hearing a voice that didn't belong to her, or her beloved cat. Slowly, she turned, facing the door of the kitchen.

Standing there, with his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, was Jounouchi. Behind him stood Honda, Yugi, Otogi, and Shizuka.

"Uh…. Good morning, everyone!" Mina greeted with a forced grin.

"Mina? Did that… Did that cat just talk?" Yugi asked.

"Who, Artemis?" Mina asked, laughing nervously. "What? No! Of course not! Don't be silly! That's just… That's just ridiculous! I mean, cats can't talk. That would just be crazy, right?"

"Mina…" A calm, familiar voice piped up, shoving her way through the small crowd.

Standing before her, with her own cat tucked between her arms, was Usagi.

"I think it's time we told them all the truth…. All of it."

Luna released an angry and questioning "meow", as if to say "what are you doing?!"

"There's no point in keeping up the act anymore, Luna. They already know that we're scouts."

"What!?" Luna and Artemis cried in unison.

"You revealed yourselves to them?! Why on earth would you do that?!" Artemis questioned.

"How could you be so irresponsible?!" Luna added. "Do you _not_ realize the dangers that could come of this?!"

"I thought we taught you better than this." Artemis said. "We've stated time and time again that you girls need to be careful!"

"Alright, enough!" Usagi and Mina shouted in a union of their own. "Just let us explain!"

The cats shut up at that, and Luna jumped down from Usagi's arms to hop up onto the counter with Artemis. She sat down, taking a deep breath. "Very well, girls. Explain yourselves."

"Hold on a minute, Luna." Usagi said. "We should wait for everyone else."

Almost as if on cue, Mai and Anzu entered the room, looking just as confused as everyone else. With no sign of Rei, and everyone else still face asleep, Usagi grew impatient and decided to begin the confessions without them.

As everyone seated themselves at a table, giving Mina and Usagi their stage, the two blondes told them everyone. They told them about how Artemis and Luna had found them, recruiting them for a special mission to protect the planet from the Dark Kingdom, and to find their missing princess. They explained how so far, the search for the princess had been completed.

"Wait," Mai interrupted, holding up a hand. "Hold up here. You said the mission to find this princess of yours is complete?"

The girls nodded.

"So who is it?" Shizuka asked.

Mina closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "We believe that the princess…. Is me."

"What?!" Shizuka gasped, staring at her cousin with wide eyes.

"That's not possible." Jounouchi stated bluntly. "None of our family tree points to royalty, no way. None of the crap we've been through would've happened if we were."

"Well, I'm not exactly a 'modern day' princess." Mina explained. "From what we know, there was a kingdom that prospered on the moon many, many years go. This kingdom formed alliances with the neighboring planets; and, in return, the planets sent their princesses as ambassadors to protect the Moon Princess, and her kingdom. In a past life, I was that princess."

"So, however long ago that was, our family was royalty?" Shizuka asked.

Mina shrugged. "Well, we're not sure. I don't think that it's that simple. Besides, as far as the rest of the world is concerned, the Moon Kingdom never existed. It's been washed away by time."

"I'm… having a hard time grasping this." Anzu piped up. "If the Moon Kingdom is gone, why is it your mission to find its princess? What's the point in protecting her if her kingdom is gone?"

Luna's eyes narrowed as her gazed drilled into the brunette. Anzu shivered slightly, sinking lower into her seat.

"I can answer that." Artemis replied. "This threat, known as the Dark Kingdom, is searching for the Moon Princess as well. And, from what we've gathered, the Moon Princess and her protectors have all been reincarnated as the Sailor Scouts."

"But with the reincarnation, our memories of our past lives, and each other have been shattered." Usagi added. "None of us can remember who we were, except for a few flashbacks. We know that Mina is the Princess, because when she transforms into Sailor Venus, she has the birthmark of the Moon Kingdom across her forehead. She covers it with her tiara, and takes on the name of Venus, so she can hide her identity from our enemies."

For a moment, the room was silent. Jounouchi was completely awestruck. With his cousin being a Sailor Scout, now being revealed as a princess, he had no idea how to respond.

Shizuka sat there with a wide smile on her face, continuing to stare at Mina in admiration. She always knew there was something special about her cousin, and this was just the icing on the cake.

Otogi and Honda were beyond confused at this point, and just decided to play along with everybody else.

Yugi merely smiled, rising to his feet. "Well I think this is just awesome!" He replied.

"Really?" Mina and Usagi asked in unison.

"Me too!" Shizuka chirped, jumping to her feet to stand by Yugi. "I mean, who wouldn't be psyched to hear that their friends are crime fighters, and royalty?!"

"I second that." Mai said, striding over to stand by Shizuka. "Besides, no matter what you were in the past, you're still our friends."

"You got that right!" Usagi exclaimed, throwing her arms across the girl's shoulders. "Nothing would change that."

Mina chuckled, her gaze shifting towards Jounouchi. "What about you, Jou? You ok with this?"

Jounouchi shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze cast down to the floor. "I… I don't know."

"What do you mean, Jou?" Shizuka asked. "Isn't this just great?"

"Well…. No. No, it's not great." Jounouchi responded, rising to his feet. "I mean, what other secrets have you guys been keeping from us? Next you're going to tell me that we all knew each other in a past life, or something stupid like that?"

"It's not stupid, Jounouchi!" Shizuka snapped. "How could you say that?"

"All things considered, Jounouchi," Yugi added. "We've seen enough in the past couple of days to know that our fates, at the very least, are connected somehow. I mean, with their enemy moving here, all these strange things around town-."

"That's another thing," Jounouchi cut in. "How do we know that you didn't just bring this enemy with you? Weird things have always happened in Domino City. Nobody seemed to give a damn before. Why care now?"

"Jounouchi… You're just going to have to trust us on this." Mina responded calmly.

"It's getting pretty hard to trust you guys with all of these secrets." Jounouchi muttered bitterly. "I was ok with it when I found out you were a Sailor Scout, but this…. It's like I don't even know who you are anymore, Mina!"

"Jounouchi!" Shizuka scolded with a gasp.

Mina's gaze shifted to the floor. "You know what? You're right. You don't know who I am…"

"Mina…" Usagi said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Jounouchi sighed, kicking away at some dust on the floor, and strolling out of the room.

"I'll go talk to him." Yugi said, following his friend out.

Shizuka's gaze fell to the floor, and she stepped towards her cousin, and pulled her into a tight hug. "It's alright, Mina. He just needs some time…"

"Yeah… I know." Mina mumbled, effortlessly returning the hug.

"We should get going, hon." Mai said, taking a hold of Shizuka's arm. "You can come help me get ready for my duel!"

Luna gazed at her owner, her eyes lined with concern. "You will be competing; won't you, Usagi?"

Usagi gave a small smile, petting her cat. "I've been thinking about it, and… I think I will."

"Awesome!"Mai exclaimed cheerfully. "I can't wait to see what you've got, Usagi."

"Yeah!" Usagi said, adding moment later under her breath, "Neither can I."

As the two girls departed, Otogi and Honda decided to leave, sensing that Jounouchi might need them to knock some sense into him.

That left Anzu, Mina, and Usagi.

"Well… What do you think, Anzu?" Usagi asked. "You haven't said a word."

"I think…" Anzu said, slowly rising to her feet. "I think it's time that I revealed some secrets of my own." She stepped towards the girls, reaching into her pocket. "You remember that Scout that helped you guys last night, right?"

"H-How did you know about that?" Mina asked, gazing at her friend. "Anzu, was that...?"

Anzu nodded, her gaze shifting towards her pocket. "That's strange… I thought I…"

"So… You're Sailor Earth?" Usagi concluded.

"Yeah, I just… Where did I put it? Hold on a second…." Anzu patted down across her pockets, searching frantically for her pen. "Oh, no."

"What's wrong?" Luna asked.

"My pen! It's… It's gone! I must've dropped it last night before I went to bed!"

"We'll help you look for it." Mina said.

"Yeah, it's got to be-." Usagi paused, hearing the loudspeaker roar to life with static.

_"Attention Duelist Number nine and Duelist Number four; please report to the top deck of the blimp, and prepare for the final duel of the Semi Finals."_

"Well, looks like that's my queue." Usagi said. "Sorry, Anzu. I'll try and help as soon as my duel is over, alright?"

Anzu smiled, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You go up there, and you give you're all. Show Mai what you've got."

Usagi nodded, and quickly pulled Anzu and Mina into a tight hug. "Thank you, girls. It means a lot to me."

"Well, get going then!" Mina exclaimed. "You've got better things to do than hang around with us losers."

Usagi stuck her tongue out at the blonde, and released the two from her grasp. "If Rei ever wakes up, tell her what's going on, alright?"

"We will." Anzu replied. "Just go!"

"Alright, alright. Don't be pushy!" Usagi sighed, tightening the strap on her duel disk. "I'll see you girls later!"

When she'd finally left, a smile broke out on Mina's face. "So, do you think she'll win?"

Anzu shrugged. "Who knows? We'll just have to wait and see, I guess…. Come on. My pen has got to be around here somewhere."

* * *

><p>Rei awoke from her deep, restful sleep with a mighty yawn, and a long stretch of her arms. It had been the first time since school ended that she'd had a peaceful sleep. No visions, or nightmares, had interrupted her.<p>

She glanced over at the clock resting on the dresser across the room, hoping she was close enough to see the time. When she realized she wasn't, she gazed down at her watch.

Her eyes widened, and she blinked a few times to see if the watch was correct.

It was almost noon! She never slept in that late!

With a quick jump to her feet, she ran toward the bathroom to run a brush through her hair, and wrap it up into a bun with a pair of chopsticks holding it in place. It was getting to be too hot for her to keep her hair down all the time, so she found a quick and easy way to keep it out of her face.

After splashing some cold water from the sink across her face, she then slipped on her shoes and made her way out the door. She made a mental note to stop by the kitchen and at least attempt to get some food in her before going up to the top deck like everyone else.

As she poured herself a bowl of cereal, she heard the soft tapping of someone making their way down the hallway. As the door to the kitchen opened with a hiss, a sudden paranoia filled her sense. Who else could've been on the blimp? There were only two people she could think of, Mamoru and Marik, and she prayed that it wasn't the latter.

The presence grew closer, and Rei's heart began to pound. Her grip on her bowl tightened without her noticing, her knuckles turning stark white.

"Excuse me?"

Rei screamed, tossing her bowl into the air out of reflex. The bowl clattered to the carpeted floor, and her spoon bounced off of the counter top.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you."

It took a moment for Rei to register that the voice was female. With that, her nerves settled, and she immediately spun on her heel.

Ishizu stood before her, concern edging her bright blue eyes. She immediately knelt down to sweep up the scattered cereal with her hand.

"Oh, n-no!" Rei stammered, grabbing for a hand towel from a hook hanging above the stove next to her. "Don't worry about it, please! I was paranoid, and a bit on edge. Let me take care of it."

Rei dropped to her knees, wiping up the spilled milk that was seeping into the carpet. She scrubbed furiously, praying that it didn't stain. _"I sure hope this wasn't some fancy-pants expensive carpet."_

"It's no trouble, Dear." Ishizu spoke in her regular soft, soothing voice. "After all, I was the one who'd scared you." She clutched the discarded cereal in her hand, and rose to her feet to dispose of it. By the time she'd returned to Rei, the milk was mopped up, and the bowl was set back on the counter.

Rei rose to her feet, dusting off her jeans. "Well…. Thank you, Ma'am. I appreciate the help."

"Please, call me Ishizu." The woman responded, holding out her hand. "Ishizu Ishtar."

Rei offered up her own hand to accept the woman's shake. "I'm Rei, Rei Hi-." Once again, her mind was delayed in registering what the woman had said. "Ishtar?... Then… Then that means-."

"Malik is my brother." Ishizu finished, a small, sad smile gracing her lips and softening her gaze.

"My condolences." Rei whispered, slipping her hand from Ishizu's hold. She immediately regretted saying it, seeing the sorrow in the woman's eyes. "Oh, god. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's quite alright." Ishizu said, waving a hand dismissively. "You of all people have the right to say those things about my brother. He's not in his right mind…. In fact, he's not within his mind at all."

"Right, the whole evil spirit possessing him, or something like that. I forgot." Rei said, turning to pull another box of cereal from a cabinet. "How did that happen exactly? I mean, Yugi's story makes sense but-." She paused, realizing that this Ishizu didn't actually know Yugi's story. "I mean…. Oh, never mind that last part. I'm just being stupid."

"On the contrary, Rei, you are quite intelligent. You see, the others haven't wrapped their minds around the fact that Marik isn't actually Malik. They are two separate entities. And, in case you're concerned, I do know of the connection between Yugi and the Pharaoh. You could say that I'm quite an expert on that topic."

"Well, could you explain to me what the story is behind Marik and Malik?" Rei asked. "I wouldn't mind trying to understand what the deal is with Ryou and that Bakura spirit either, if that's not too much."

Ishizu smiled, walking over to the island counters and taking a seat. "Perhaps the two of us can discuss it over some breakfast, Rei? I have a feeling that this will be an interesting topic for you."

"What would you like to eat, then?" Rei asked.

"Just a cup of coffee will suffice." Ishizu responded. As the Shrine Maiden turned towards the coffee pot to carry out the request, Ishizu's hand trailed to her necklace.

"You know; we are quite similar, you and I."

An eyebrow rose on Rei's face as she poured Ishizu's coffee, and grabbed her newly pour cereal. "How so?"

She set the cup down in front of Ishizu, and seated herself in the chair next to her.

Ishizu's smile grew as she took a sip of her coffee. "Now _that_ is a story to tell. In order for me to explain all of your curiosities, I must tell you the story of my family. Be prepared, though. There is much to be told, and much that you will begin to understand."

From there, Ishizu began her tale.

She told of how Rashid was found by her mother and father just outside of a tomb many years ago. The tomb had been their home, a reminder of an ancient promise made to the Great Pharaoh by their ancestors. It was the Ishtar family's duty to protect the tomb, the mystical items within it; the Millennium Necklace, and the Millennium rod, and they were to await the day the Great Pharaoh returned to the world.

After their rescue of the infant Rashid, Ishizu's mother had become pregnant with her. Ishizu's father hadn't been too keen on having a daughter, for he wanted a son that could carry on their family name. Her father had become increasingly distant, resenting Rashid and ignoring Ishizu.

Many years past, and her father had received the son he'd been asking for. This new life had come at a great cost, taking Ishizu's mother away shortly after Malik's birth. It was on that night that Malik's fate was sealed. Being the Ishtar's first-born son, he was to have the secret of the Pharaoh carved into his back the day he came of age.

Rashid had become Malik's protector, becoming his best friend and practically his brother. Rashid had saved him from nearly being poisoned by a cobra, and many of Malik's other misadventures. The two formed a strong bond in their cold, underground life.

But living underground was not what Malik desired. He longed to see the surface world.

On the fateful night that had changed Malik forever, the Tomb Keepers' secret was brutally and painfully carved into his back by his own father. Pain, hate, and anger consumed Malik's soul.

That event had planted the seed in Malik's heart that would eventually lead to darkness.

Ishizu had defied their father's rules to fulfill Marik's wish, while Rashid stayed behind to cover their tracks. She took him to the surface; and it was there that he discovered the sights, sounds, smells, and people that he'd longed to see. While on the surface, they'd met a man who'd claimed that the Great Pharaoh would soon return, and that it was crucial that she and Malik did not deify their sacred duty.

By then, it had been too late. Once the two had returned home, they'd realized what they'd done. Their father had learned of their escape to the surface, and of Rashid's involvement with the plot. As a result, he punished Rashid by whipping him over and over again.

Ishizu and Malik had stumbled in on the event, and Malik's heart had shattered. He watched, frozen in horror as his father whip his only friend, his brother, to near death.

A sudden rage had filled his heart, feeding the flames of the dark spirit that had formed within him over his years of torment. The spirit took this opportunity to fully possess Malik, growing stronger with every ounce of rage, sorrow, and hate that had plagued Malik's soul.

The spirit, who had then called himself Marik, had taken a hold of the Millennium Rod and unsheathed its hidden dagger. Using its powers of manipulation, he effortlessly threw their father against the wall, and did the same to Ishizu when she'd tried to intervene.

Using the Rod's dagger, he stabbed his father in the chest, repeatedly hacking and slashing until his father slid to the floor in a crumpled heap. Within moments, their father was dead.

He'd then turned to Ishizu, planning on doing away with her that same way he'd disposed of their father.

It was then that two strong arms had wrapped around him, embracing him in a firm, powerful hug. Rashid had recovered just enough strength to rise to his knees and stop his brother.

Somehow, that embrace had weakened the spirit, sealing him away deep within Malik's soul. The spirit had laid dormant, until the day that the man that locked him away had fallen in battle.

Ishizu concluded her story with an explanation of how Malik's dark thoughts and intentions had led to the spirit latching onto his soul. With Rashid falling into a coma, the spirit was able to feed off of the sorrow and pain that had entered Malik's soul, and possess him once more.

"As the years went by," Ishizu added. "I came to inherit the Millennium Necklace. This item is why I say you and I aren't so different, Rei. With this necklace, I was once able to see the future. Just like you."

Rei's gaze rested on the golden Eye of Horus necklace that rested against the woman's throat. "Does… Does it give you nightmares?" Rei blurted out, the question being the first thing that came to mind.

"Sometimes." Ishizu replied, reaching behind her neck to unclasp the piece of jewelry. "When I forget to take it off before bed, it will give me horrible nightmares. It's almost as if it saves the most gruesome fates, and horrifying futures, for a time when I am most vulnerable."

"I know the feeling." Rei sighed. "Ever since we got here, it's been like jumping through hoops of fire to get some sleep. To put it bluntly, it sucks."

"I would have to agree with you there," Ishizu added, dropping the necklace into her hand and letting her thumb trace across the outline of the eye. "But, notices how I said I was _once_ able to use the necklace."

"So, what, are you saying it doesn't work anymore?" Rei asked.

Ishizu nodded solemnly. "After my defeat with Seto Kaiba, the necklace no longer responds to me. I see nothing with it anymore."

"So Kaiba _did_ defeat you." Rei concluded, her gaze falling back on the necklace. "So… Why are you here exactly? Your brother didn't exactly go full-on Dark Side until a couple of days ago."

"I came here to save him." Ishizu replied simply. "As you have learned today, you know he wasn't always the cruel man you've come to know. He only became this way when he'd learned of the Pharaoh's return, and began plotting his vengeance. He wants the Pharaoh to suffer for all of the pain and suffering that had been forced upon him in the Great King's name. I have faith in my brother. I know, in the end, he will make the right choice. I have hope that he can be saved."

Rei frowned, a pang of guilt stabbing at her heart. "I… I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm sorry about you and your family. I know what it's like to lose a mother and to be neglected by a father. The only differences are that my history is _nothing_ compared to yours, and I didn't have any brothers or sisters to help me through my pain."

Ishizu gave a sad smile, and slid her necklace onto the counter. She placed a hand on Rei's shoulder, causing the raven haired girl's gaze to shoot up, revealing her tear filled eyes.

"Rei, let me tell you this. No one's history can be described as 'nothing'. Not even yours. Your past has shaped you into the woman you are now, just as mine has. You have a beautiful group of friends both here in Domino, and back at home. You can dwell on your past all you want, but it takes strength and courage to move on and leave it behind."

Rei wiped away her tears with the heel of her hand, and managed a quivering smile. "Thank you, Ishizu. Thank you for sharing your story with me. Thank you for putting up with all my rude comments about Malik…. I guess I never would've understood him if you hadn't. There is hope for him. He can be saved…. He's not evil, he's just…."

"Lost."

The two had spoken the word in unison, causing a wide smile to break across the two's faces. Ishizu took her hand from Rei's shoulder, and picked up her necklace.

"Rei, there is one more thing I must ask of you." She took Rei's hand, and pressed the necklace into it. "I need you to watch after this. It is no longer of use to me. Any confusing visions you have now, the necklace will make clearer for you. I know that you would benefit more from it than me."

As she said those words, a warm, soft glow emanated from the necklace. Rei looked down at it, staring at it in sheer awe.

"You mean it?" Rei asked. "You'd give me an artifact like this just to help with my visions?"

"Well, there's more to it than that. There will come a time where you must use it to aid another. You'll know when that time comes; and, when it does, you must be prepared to pass it down to the one in aid. That was the last vision I saw before it went dark."

Ishizu removed her hand, and Rei took the chain in both hands. With a nod, she clasped the necklace around her neck, the Eye of Horus resting against her collarbone.

Sudden warmth filled her body as faint whispers echoed throughout her mind. Calm, soothing whispers that held keys to the past, and the future. Absentmindedly, her hand came to rest on the necklace charm.

_One image came to her mind as she closed her eyes. The image of a tanned man's hand taking a pale woman's in his grasp. _

_The imaged flashed to the hand being caressed with soft kisses from the man's lips. Soft whispers escaped those lips as the kisses feathered across the woman's knuckles._

But, as the man drew his lips away, one whispered phrase rang loud and clear in Rei's ears.

_"Forgive me."_

Rei's eyes fluttered open and her hand dropped down to her side. For a moment, she was confused. Ishizu had said her visions would become clearer with the necklace.

But this vision was different; she'd never seen it before. Maybe that was the reason….

Despite that, the necklace was a refreshing change for Rei. For once, her visions didn't leave her with a crippling headache. They didn't leave her gasping for breath or have layers of sweat clinging to her skin. She didn't feel weak from these visions.

If anything, she felt stronger.

"Ishizu… This necklace is incredible! I can't thank you-…" Rei was cut off, realizing that the woman was no longer in the room with her. "… Enough…"

Rei's gaze shifted to the island counter, seeing that her bowl and Ishizu's mug were no longer there. Instead, a yellow post-it note was stuck to the counter top before her.

Rei took the note between her fingers, reading over only two words that resided there.

_Good Luck._

Rei smiled, tucked the note into her pocket, and kept those words in mind as she departed the room.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: I am so, so, soooo sorry for the delay in updates! I had a lot of things to worry about here at home, and I literally just got all four of my wisdom teeth removed today. But, despite all that, I was able to bring you all a new chapter._**

**_After much consideration, the duel between Usagi and Mai will commence in Chapter 28. And, as a tiny sneak peak (so to speak), we will also get to see more interaction between the wicked Marik, and our lovely Shrine Maiden. You won't want to miss out on this one, folks!_**

**_Until then, keep on rocking, reviewing, and favoriting my wonderful fans! If it weren't for you guys, this story probably would've been scrapped a long time ago…._**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox_**

- **_Rowan Cousland_**


	29. 28: Battle Scars

Chapter 28

Battle Scars

_"It's so amusing how you think you've won. Your souls belong now to me." – Seether, "Dragon in Me (Desire is Need)"_

Jounouchi sat in the hallway outside of his room, sighing to himself as he pulled his knees to his chest.

"Stupid, stupid." He muttered to himself, feeling a rush of guilt washing over him. "Why did I have to tell her that?"

Though he'd left the kitchen only a few moments ago, and he'd left it with somewhat of a high-held head, guilt had been eating away at him ever since he'd left.

He knew that he'd hurt Mina's feeling, and he knew that he'd completely overreacted.

But how was he supposed to react?

One moment, his cousin, one of his best friends from his childhood, was a Sailor Scout. For some reason, that much he could deal with. He found it exciting, and adventurous. He thought that it was the perfect opportunity for Mina.

But then, almost immediately after that, she reveals that she's a princess.

In all honesty, that revelation had hurt Jounouchi. It didn't make sense. If there was even an ounce of royal blood in his family, he wouldn't have suffered as much as he had as a kid. Even if it didn't count for anything now, a small amount of royal blood could allow his family to get some sort of a foothold in society.

And yet, there had been almost nothing but suffering for Jounouchi. It didn't seem fair. His cousin gets to be royalty, while he is left with nothing but scars, and a mask of a smile to hide all of them.

He heard the sounds of footsteps off to his left, but he didn't care at this point. He just wanted to be alone to gather his thoughts.

"Jounouchi?"

Jounouchi's gaze lifted towards the voice, seeing Yugi standing next to him. His eyes were etched with worry, and concern.

"Jou… Are you ok?" He asked simply, taking a seat next to his blonde friend.

"I'm fine, Yuug." Jounouchi mumbled. "I'll get over it. I just need some time…"

"This isn't something you can just '_get over_', Jou." Yugi replied. "I mean, yeah, this is a bit of a shock, but you can't just brush it off and call it a day."

"Well, what am I supposed to do, Yugi? How would you have reacted if you were in my place? Matter of fact, how are you so cool with all of this? You're just accepting all of these big secrets like they happen every day!"

Yugi shrugged. "Well, at the very least, I'm a bit cooler with Mina's secrets because… well… I've kind of been dreaming about them. Yami and I both have. In almost every dream we see a princess with long blonde hair…. Now, whether that's Mina or not, remains to be seen. It could've been any princess for all I know. But… I guess what I'm saying is, after seeing the things that I've seen, and hearing what I've heard… Nothing really surprises me anymore."

"Easy for you to say." Jounouchi muttered. "Hate to break it to you, Yuug; but, you're not exactly normal. Nothing about your life really easy…. I guess it just gets easier with the more weird you encounter."

"Pretty much." Yugi sighed. "And I know it doesn't get much easier… But that's not why I came down here. Look, I know you're not really mad at Mina. That's just not how you are. And, I'm sure that she and Usagi both would love it if you came to watch the duel today. Maybe it'll make you feel better, you know?"

A small smile crossed Jounouchi's lips and he slowly rose to his feet.

"Thanks, Yuug. I really needed the talk…" He trailed off, his mind going back to the scene in the kitchen, and wishing he'd handled it a bit better. "But, hey, let's get going. Can't keep our adoring public waiting."

With a smile, and a small shake of his head, Yugi jumped back to his feet. Together, the two friends made their way up to the top deck.

* * *

><p>Usagi stood tall on her end of the dueling platform, a faint breeze tugging at her hair. Her breathing was steady, though her mind longed to dive into panic.<p>

She was going up against Mai Kujaku. This wasn't just some newbie duelist back at school. This wasn't Naru or Umino. This was a professional duelist.

She kept reminding herself that she had to do this for Mako. She had to do this for everyone that had been affected by this tournament. She had to come home a winner; at the very least, have a place in the final round.

By the time Mai had stepped up to the platform, Usagi's spirits began to sink. How was she going to defeat a great duelist like Mai? She'd gotten lucky when she dueled against Pandora and Jounouchi and Mako. This time, she wouldn't have Yami on the field with her.

She immediately began to reconsider her decision. There was no way she was going to be able to beat Mai. No way!

"Hey, Usagi!" Mai called from across the field, taking note of the blonde's change in behavior. "Don't you go flaking out on me now. You've come this far, you might as well see it to the end."

"What?! I wasn't-."

"Don't deny it, Usagi. I know you were planning to quit. I could see it with how you were acting this morning. Don't you dare quit, you hear me? Your friends need you right now. You think Mako would want to wake up and hear that you gave up on her?"

"I haven't given up on her!" Usagi shouted, a slight rage building up within her. How dare Mai accuse her of such an act? "I'd never give up on her, or any of my friends!"

"Prove it. Duel me." Mai shot back with a small smirk. "Show me that you haven't given up. Give me your best shot."

"Alright, I will!" Usagi snapped, her narrow gaze shifting towards Kaiba. "Are we going to start this, or what?"

Kaiba nodded toward his referee, and with the wave of a hand, the duel began.

Standing off in the sidelines were all of her friends, minus Anzu, Mina, and Rei for one reason or another. All of them were cheering the two girls on, bringing the almost always present smile back to Usagi's face

"I'll go first." Usagi stated, drawing her hand. It wasn't perfect, it seldom ever was, but it was a wonderful start.

"I'll place two cards face down, and play Amazoness Archer in defense mode!" Usagi announced. "But I'm not done there; I'll also activate her special effect! By sacrificing two of my monsters, I inflict 1200 points of damage to your life points."

A smile cross Mai's face. "A good start," She said, drawing her hand. "But you'll have to do more than that to beat me. It just so happens that you and I run the same deck. We've both got warrior type monsters. But you'll see that mine pack more of a punch."

With that said, she slapped her card across her duel disk. "I summon my Unfriendly Amazon in attack mode!" She stated. "But, alongside my Amazon, I play Harpie's Feather Duster.

"I hope you didn't get too attached to those face down cards of yours, Sweetie; because they're going on a little trip to the Graveyard."

Usagi sighed, removing the cards from her disk. They weren't fantastic cards, just two simple spell cards, so it wasn't a total loss. "Alright, fine." She muttered.

"Despite your Archer being in defense mode, I'll just go ahead and get her out of my way for now." With a flourish of her hand, Mai sent her Amazon forward. With a sharp, downwards swing of her great sword, Usagi's archer was cleaved in two.

A smirk crossed Usagi's face once it was finally her turn. Needless to say, she was actually excited for this duel. She already had somewhat of a lead over Mai. All she had to do was play a bit safer, and dent Mai's life points bit by bit. She was sure to win that way.

As she drew her new hand, Usagi had to refrain from showing her excitement even more. She had the perfect move set up.

"I summon Marauding Captain in attack mode!" Usagi announced, her smile returning as the warrior appeared before her, facing Mai's Amazon with his sword in hand.

"He may not look like much," Usagi stated. "But he comes with a special ability that allows me to summon one 4 star monster of my choice. And it just so happens that I have that monster in my hand. I'll summon Command Knight in attack mode.

"With my Command Knight in play, all of my warriors will gain 400 attack points. And with that, I'll end my turn."

Mai stood there, slightly confused by Usagi's actions. Even with the 400 point boost from her Knight, her Captain was still another 400 points away from even matching her Amazon's attack. So, what was the point?

Not allowing her confusion to show, she simply laughed. "Alright, Usagi. You've had your little moment of brilliance, but I'm afraid my Amazon is going have to crush it. Now, Unfriendly Amazon, crush her Marauding Captain to dust!"

A small smirk broke across Usagi's lips as her Captain was struck down, a small chuckle following after it.

_"Got you."_ She thought.

Once Usagi's turn finally came once again, she drew her card, and gave a simple shake of her head. "I skip my turn."

A sudden gasp erupted from her friends.

"Is she crazy?" Honda asked.

"Probably." Jounouchi muttered. "Hey, Usagi! What gives?! Do you _want_ to lose to her?!"

Usagi simply smiled. "Don't worry guys. I know what I'm doing here."

"Besides," Mai added. "If she wants to pass, more power to her. There's more fun for me."

Mai drew her card, a confident smirk crossing her lips. Seeing nothing that could improve her field just yet, she shrugged. "Amazon, finish off her Command Knight for me!"

The Amazon didn't move, confusing Mai even more. "What the hell? Hey! Why isn't she moving!? Kaiba, your crumby holograms are busted!"

Usagi's smile widened. "What's the matter, Mai? Did you not know about Command Knight's Special Ability?"

"Yeah, it bumps up warrior attacks. So what?"

"There's a second ability! But, I guess you were unaware of that." Usagi responded triumphantly. "Since I currently don't control any warrior monsters, Command Knight can't be destroyed!"

"I still don't get it." Shizuka mumbled. "What's the point of her doing that? She can't take down Mai's Amazon, and if she summons another monster to go with it, Mai could just take down the Knight anyways."

"Maybe she's waiting to draw some amazing monster, and then use the 400 points to make it even more powerful." Yugi suggested.

"I don't know…" Otogi mused. "Seems a little far-fetched to me."

"But it could work, if she plays her cards right." Jounouchi stated, giving a small chuckle at his own pun. "Heh, heh. Get it? Cards?"

"Oh, brother." Shizuka sighed, clapping her palm to her face. But she was glad to see her brother was back to his old self. She didn't know what Yugi had said to him before the duel, but she was glad that everything was alright.

Mai frowned at the situation. That Command Knight was going to become a thorn in her side, that much she could tell. She'd have to find a way to get rid of it, and fast.

Sure, it only added 400 points; but those 400 points could be what stood between going home a winner, and leaving the finals as an utter loser.

But Mai stood tall, her smirk still on her face. "Alrighty then, Usagi. If that's how you want to play it, then fine. I'll play one card face down, and since my deck is being a pain, I'll have to end my turn."

Usagi grinned. Her strategy was working perfectly. All she had to do was keep playing it safe until she drew her one perfect card.

It was a risky move; but if she was careful, it just might work.

* * *

><p>Rei found herself alone for most of the afternoon.<p>

She'd decided not to go watch the duel between Usagi and Mai. Duel Monsters had never appealed to her before; and after all that she'd encountered, she was completely sick of the concept.

As she strolled through the deserted hallways of the blimp, her mind wandering as she did so, she couldn't help but feel as if she was being followed. It was an odd, lingering feeling that would constantly tug at her consciousness until her attention was brought to it. Then, when she would turn around, the feeling would disappear completely.

Finally, the feeling became too overwhelming for her. She quickly darted into the nearest room, and shut the door behind her.

Sweat clung to her hands and forehead as the feeling refused to leave her be. Her breathing became ragged as a sudden panic latched onto her heart. What was going on? Why was she feeling like this?

She suddenly released a broken sigh that had built up within her, realizing that the room she darted into was her own. She was practically in tears as she made her way towards the bathroom to splash water across her face.

"Get a hold of yourself, Rei." She mumbled to herself, gripping at the edges of the sink's counters. "You're paranoid, that's all. You need rest. You need to get a grip! There's nothing following you. There's no one chasing you. You're safe… It's all safe."

A deep chuckle rumbled behind her, and all of the blood drained from Rei's face. Her gaze drifted up to her mirror, finally attempting to catch a glimpse of her stalker.

She didn't get a chance to before a hand entangled in her hair, yanking her head back and forcing her to stumble into the chest of her assailant. The chopsticks that had held her hair in place clattered to the floor, giving her assailant more to grab onto.

She opened her mouth, preparing to scream, when she felt the edge of a blade bite into her neck. Her breath caught in her throat, a guttural gasp escaping her lips.

She could feel his breath against her neck, trailing its way towards her ear. A low, chilling voice spoke into it, causing her blood to run cold.

"None of that now, My Dear. I'd hate to slice into that beautiful neck of yours."

Rei had to build up what little courage she had left in her to respond to his words. "W-What do you want from me?"

A twisted smirk broke out on Marik's lips. "There's no need to be frightened, Rei. I won't harm you, so long as you cooperate. I saw my sister talking to you this morning, and I know she gave you something. Something that belongs to me. Now, if you can be a good little girl and hand it over to me, I won't hurt you. If you don't… Well, let's just say that I hope red is your color."

Rei thrashed in his hold, her head whipping foreword slightly. The blade of the Millennium Rod nicked across her skin, leaving a shallow cut across her neck.

Marik clucked his tongue, chastising her. "Now, now, Rei. I warned you what would happen if you didn't listen to me. Fight any harder and there will be more cuts than that."

"Go to hell." Rei spat through clenched teeth, pulling her head back to avoid the blade.

Marik yanked harder on her hair, a growl rumbling in her ear. "Listen here, wench! I will take that necklace from you, even if I have to rip it from your throat. I gave you the chance to hand it over peacefully, but I see that force is the only answer."

He paused suddenly, glancing at her to see that she was mumbling something.

He smirked, figuring that she was mumbling some other kind of backhanded comment, or maybe even pleading for mercy.

"What was that, my dear?" He asked, bringing his ear closer to her lips. "I can't hear you."

" … Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" Rei exclaimed, finishing off that last of the power words in her chant. Quickly, she whipped her head to her right, brining her teeth down onto Marik's ear in a vicious bite.

Marik cried out, shoving the girl away from him in order to recover. Rei dropped down to the floor, grabbing one of her charms from her pocket, and shoving it against Marik's chest.

"Begone, Evil Spirit!" She cried, shoving Marik back until he tumbled out of the bathroom, and onto the bedroom floor.

With her newfound freedom, Rei ran. Her first instinct was to run towards Ishizu's room. She kne that she was still on the blimp at the very least.

Suddenly, just as she'd thought she'd made some distance between her and Marik, her legs suddenly locked up mid stride.

"W-What?!" She stammered. "What's going on!?"

A sudden numbness washed over her, and her body was completely frozen.

A laugh echoed throughout the hall, followed by a mocking applause.

"Bravo, Rei. I must admit, that was quite clever of you. But, you're little prayer merely stunned me. This body is mine, and mine alone. No amount of praying or wishing will remove me."

Marik continued to walk until her was standing before her, his hand reaching up to grab a hold of her chin.

"I will, as you say, 'give you props'. You have a lot of fight in you, and an incredible fire." His fingered trailed from her jaw, down along her neck, and finally came to rest on the necklace that had been resting under her blouse.

"In all honest, I should've used my Rod beforehand. Serves me right for attempting to be a gentleman." With a sharp tug, the necklace came free. Had Rei had any control of her body, he never would've gotten that far.

Marik smirked, seeing the sudden rage building up in her eyes. "I can see that you're not the kind of women that likes to be held down. You're furious at me, and nothing could make me happier. You have no idea what tormenting you does to my host, and how much it pleases me."

A sudden gasp echoed in Rei's mind. Could Malik see all of this? Was Marik doing this just to torment him?

Marik chuckled. "Ah, so you didn't know? Malik is still with us, in a sense. He just hasn't been showing himself. He's been watching over you, attempting to protect you from me. The poor fool has been wasting all of his energy." He brought up the Rod's dagger again, pressing it against her cheek. "No, my Dear, there is one last thing I must ask of you. Your friend, the one you've locked away in the Thief's bedroom, has some unfinished business she must settle for me. But, Kaiba has denied all access to that room, except for you and your friends. You know the code to unlock the room. Now, I'm going to take you to that room, and you're going to set her free. And, even though you feel that you can resist, I must say that you have no choice in that matter."

With a quick, downward swipe the blade cut across Rei's cheek. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.

Marik gestured the Rod forward, signaling that Rei was going to lead the way to the room.

Involuntarily, Rei's body marched towards Ryou's bedroom leading the madman with her.

Her fingers trailed up to the keypad Kaiba had installed the previous night, just after the incident with Mercury, and typed in the key code he'd given her and the rest of the scouts.

The door slid open, revealing Mercury standing there with her arms crossed.

"Took you long enough." She muttered, her eyes fixed in an icy glare towards Marik. "What the hell happened?"

"I apologize, dear Mercury. I encountered a small bump in the road, but it doesn't matter anymore." Marik responded. "Little Rei here has set you free, and our plans can carry out."

Mercury scoffed as she made her way into the hall. "Right, _our_ plans." She mumbled, putting air quotes around the word "our".

Marik ignored her, turning his attention back towards Rei.

"And now, my Dear, this is where I must depart. As you can imagine, I can't have you running off and telling your friends. So, I feel that this room shall serve you just as well."

His hand trailed towards the pocket of her jeans, pulling out her cell phone and her pen. His other hand wrapped around her wrist, ripping her wristwatch from it.

"You won't be needing these," He whispered into her ear. "Sailor Mars."

With another rumble of laughter, Marik released Rei from his hold, and roughly shoved her into Ryou's room. She stumbled for a moment, tumbling to the floor.

As she spun around, scrambling to her feet, the door slid shut behind her.

"No!" She screamed, slamming her fists against the steel door. "Let me out of here! Damn it, Marik! You're going to regret this!"

She received no response, indicating that the two had departed.

Seeing that there was nothing else she could do, Rei slid to the floor and cried.

**_A/N: So, I want to apologize to everyone for taking so long to update this! I seriously feel bad for the delay, but my inspiration blew a fuse for a while, and we've also been busy preparing for school over here. I promise to try and be more frequent with the updates in the future!_**

**_Also, for those of you wondering, when Rei was mumbling those power words, that is actually a part of one of her attacks, (I think it was Mar's Fireball Charge, or something like that, in the English Dub)._**

**_Also, did you guys notice that we have a cover page now? Let me know what you think! A larger version is on my Polyvore page. Link to that is on my profile! :)_**

**_Be sure to review, favorite, and all that jazz!_**

**_Until next time!_**

**_Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo_**

- **_Rowan Cousland_**


	30. 29: The Evil Within

Chapter 29

The Evil Within

_"Fear not this night, you will not go astray. Though shadows fall, still the stars find their way... Dawn is just a heartbeat away. Hope is just a sunrise away."  
>- Malukah, "Fear Not This Night"<em>

**_A/N: Hey everybody, its Rowan here. I realize it's been a really long time since I've updated. But, I want you all to know that I haven't given up on this story, or on any of you. Lately, things have been a bit difficult for me. My motivation to write went completely out the window. School has sucked out my energy… And, among other things, every year, for an unset amount of time, I will occasionally go through a little bit of a depression. It's kind of like a seasonal thing, and it's not the first time it's interfered with my writing. I promise from here on out, I will produce as much writing as I can. I don't want to see this story shelved, especially with how much love and effort I've put into it. This story deserves to been seen to until the very end, and you all deserve to see that happens. I appreciate all of the wonderful feedback I've been receiving, and I only hope to continue having your wonderful support. So, without further ado, I give you Chapter 29 of "Sailor Duelists"_**

* * *

><p>The rest of the duel had worked out mostly in Mai's favor.<p>

She and Usagi had gone back and forth, denting each other's life points as much as they could, the both of them waiting on that one cards that would guarantee victory.

On her turn, Usagi had found just that card. With her current hand, and the plan hatching in her mind, she knew that she would leave quite an impression on this battlefield.

She only had one trap card and one monster on the field, thanks to Mai finally taking down her Command Knight five turns ago. She was down to 4,000 life points, and Mai was at 6,000.

Her current monster was Dark Blade, a regular monster with no effects. Mai currently had no monsters in her hand, but had one card face down. This worried Usagi a bit, but she had to take this chance now.

With her new plan in mind, she played her next card.

"I play Trident Warrior in attack mode!" Usagi exclaimed. "And, in doing so, I activate his special ability. This allows me to summon one more monster to the field, and I choose Blade Knight!

"With their combined attack of 5,200, I have all three of my monsters attack once!"

Mai's smile faded fast as the three knights charged towards her and made a downward strike with their swords right in front of her. Mai grimaced as her counter spun down to her last 800 points.

"I'll then place one card face down, and end my turn."

_"I need something to protect myself."_ Mai thought. _"One more hit like that, and I'm screwed!"_

She drew her card, taking a deep breath as she did so.

A smile formed on her face. Her cards may not be able to damage Usagi much, but they would cover her while she thought of something better.

"I summon Harpie Lady!" Mai announced, placing her monster in defense mode. "And, in doing so, I activate my facedown card, Elegant Egotist! This allows me to summon Harpie Sisters!

"In addition, I'll also activate Dian Keto the Cure Master. This spell card allows me to increase my life points by 1,000. I'll end my turn there."

Usagi smirked. Mai was playing it safe, so she had to know that she was going to lose.

"Well, now it's my turn. Let's see… What to do…." Usagi said, feigning her obliviousness. "Oh! I know! Here's what I'll do, Mai. I'll sacrifice my monsters in order to summon a very special friend of mine. He likes to hang out at the bottom of my deck, so he doesn't get played very often. Say hello to Dark Guardian!

"And, at this point, don't go thinking that there's a card that can help you, Mai. Dark Guardian can't be destroyed in battle! And with his 3800 attack, that's bound to leave quite a dent in your life points. But, for this round, I'll play him in defense mode."

"Now you're just playing with me!" Mai shouted. "You're stalling to see if I'll change my monsters' positions. Well guess what, Sweetheart. I'm not that stupid!"

"Is that what I'm doing, Mai?" Usagi asked innocently. "You have no way of truly knowing, now do you?"

Mai scowled, drawing her card. "You know damn well there's nothing I can do. My monsters are staying in defense mode. That's final."

Upon finally looking at her card, Mai's scowl slowly faded. She had something that could bolster her defense slightly. It was worth a shot at this point. She shrugged, slipping it on the Duel Disk.

"I play the card Harpies' Hunting Ground!" She announced. "This will boost my attack and defense by 200 points. It's not much, but it'll keep your Guardian off my ass for a bit."

"Will it?" Usagi questioned, taking her turn. "You forget my face down card, Mai. I activate the trap card, Zero Gravity!"

Mai's eyes widened, knowing this card far too well. Hell, it was even in her deck somewhere. This card would change her Harpies, and Usagi's Dark Guardian, in attack mode. This would give Usagi the opportunity to attack freely, and totally annihilate her life points.

A small smirk graced her lips. "Well played, Usagi." She whispered, dropping her hands to her sides. "Well played."

"Dark Guardian, attack Mai's Harpies and wrap up this duel for good!" Usagi cried triumphantly.

Mai's Harpies gave one final cry as Usagi's Guardian cleaved them in two. Mai's life points spiraled down to nothing, and the platform slowly sank back into the blimp. Mina ran to Usagi, throwing their arms around her, and cheering for her.

"I knew you could do it!" Mina exclaimed. "I didn't doubt you for a second!"

"Then explain why you owe Honda money from that bet you place, Mina." Otogi joked, to which Mina sank her elbow into his side.

"Like I said." Mina added with a nervous grin. "Didn't doubt you for a second."

Usagi smiled, turning to face Mai. The defeated look the blonde wore was obvious, and Usagi immediately felt a pang of regret.

Mai held out her hand for Usagi. "Good game, Girly. I'll admit… I'm genuinely impressed…" Her gaze cast down to the floor, a smile forming on her lips. "It's been an honor dueling you, and I hope you make it to the top!"

Usagi didn't know what to say… She looked into the blonde's deep violet eyes. For an instance, she saw a glimmer of respect. Respect towards her. She smiled, pulling Mai into a quick hug. "You fought well… And the pleasure is mine. You're a strong duelist… and you deserve every ounce of respect and recognition you get."

Mina's eyes widened, surprised at her friend for a moment. She didn't know what to say.

Mai looked extremely touched, and she slowly returned her hug.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Jounouchi asked. "Let's go raid the kitchen and celebrate! Usagi's rolling into the finals now!" He tossed and arm around Usagi, his big dorky grin brandished across his face.

"Agreed!" Mina exclaimed with a grin of her own. "Let's go hunt down Rei and get this party started!"

Usagi couldn't stop smiling. For once she wasn't the failure. For once, she wasn't the screw up… She had finally done everything right. She'd made the right choice. She was one step closer to the finals…

She was one step closer to saving Mako.

* * *

><p>Anzu yawned as she walked down the hall. She'd spent a good percentage of the day searching up and down the blimp for her pen. No matter what she did, she couldn't seem to find it. Even with Mina and Rei's help. At one point, she'd dismissed the two girls to continue the search on her own. It was her responsibility. It was her fault her pen went missing in the first place. She needed to find it.<p>

At one point, she found herself coming across the door to Ryou's room. She stopped at that door, something suddenly feeling off about it… She pressed her hand against the door, and odd energy washing over her body… Something told her that this door had been opened earlier today.

Behind the door, she could hear the faint sounds of crying… And it definitely wasn't Ami's voice she heard.

Anzu's eyes widened, a faint recognition of the voice reaching her mind. "Rei? Rei, is that you?!"

Rei's head lifted from her knees, quickly scrambling to her feet. "Anzu?! Anzu, I'm in here!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. "I… I got locked in here… Marik locked me in here! He let Mercury free!"

Anzu gasped, taking a half step back and bringing her hand up to the keypad. "Hold on, Rei! I've got you. I'll have you out in…" She trailed off… She couldn't remember the code. Her mind was completely drawing a blank.

_"Oh my god… I can't remember it! I knew I should've paid attention when Mina told me! 'Oh no, Dear. I'll remember it. No big deal. You can count on me.' Stupid, stupid, stupid!"_ She mentally scolded herself.

To her left, Rei heard the sound of someone sighing. _"Stupid girl."_ A disembodied voice muttered. Rei felt a sudden chill rush across her left shoulder, and then quickly dissipate.

That same chill washed over Anzu's hand… and it felt as if a hand had taken a hold of hers and guided her fingers to the correct numbers.

1-9-3-0-2-1. Code accepted.

The door slid open, and Rei immediately ran to Anzu, throwing her arms around the girl's neck. She was shaking violently, tears spilling down her cheeks. Anzu immediately returned the hug, whispering soothing words to her friend.

"It's alright, Rei…. You're alright now."

"No…" Rei croaked, pulling back from the hug, and scrubbing away the tears with the heel of her hand. "No, I'm not alright. Marik let Mercury go, and he stole my pen, watch, and phone… And I think he might have something planned for the other girls. I think he's going to have Mercury attack the girls."

"Damn it!" Anzu muttered. Now she seriously needed her pen. "Alright. I'm going to go look for your stuff. You need to get to the girls and warn them. I won't be gone long."

Rei nodded, taking a hold of Anzu's arm before she walked off. "Wait… If you see Marik… Don't hesitate to punch him in the face for me."

Anzu smirked, nodding in response. "You've got it."

With that said, the two took off down the opposite end of the hallway.

Anzu made her way down the hallway, trying to recall what room number was Marik's.

For the life of her, she couldn't remember it…. But then….

She felt as if someone had grabbed a hold of her arm and began to pull her. She almost stumbled, nearly losing her footing.

"What the-?" She didn't even have time to finish what she was going to say. The tugging sensation stopped at a door…. And Anzu knew immediately where the force had led her.

She waited a moment, pressing her ear to the wall near the door to make sure that no one was in there.

It sounded clear.

She pressed her hand to the door, watching as it slid open with a quiet hiss.

Quickly, she stepped into the room, stepping lightly in insure that she didn't make any noises.

There weren't any sounds coming from the bathroom, so she knew that she was completely alone. But she didn't know how long that would last.

With that in mind, Anzu began her search.

She looked through every drawer. Searched every crack in the wall. She even went as far as looking in the closet, and under the bed.

Nothing.

"Come on, Anzu." She muttered to herself. "Rei's counting on you. Think. If I were a crazed psychopath, where would I stash away my treasures?"

She ran her hand through her hair, wracking her brains to try and figure it out.

Then… Her gaze fell on Malik's backpack….

No…. No way…. There was no way Marik would be stupid enough to….. Would he?

Kneeling down, Anzu began rifling through the bag, until she finally found something.

She found the phone, pen, and watch.

"Found something, have you?"

Anzu's blood ran cold as those words met her ears. No…. That was impossible. There was no way he was in here. She would've heard him come in!

She spun on her heel, her body freezing upon seeing who it was.

"Well aren't you a nosey one." Marik chuckled. "You're worse than the Thief."

The room suddenly grew cold, and…. Maybe she was just imagining it…. But Anzu was positive that the darkness of the room had shifted with Marik's movement.

Her throat closed over in fear. She couldn't even bring herself to speak.

"You know what would be done to thieves in my day?" He asked, reaching forward and grasping for Anzu's wrist.

With his free hand, he revealed the Millennium Rod's blade.

"We'd make sure they'd never steal again."

Anzu's eyes widened as his grip tightened painfully on her wrist, and slammed it down onto the dresser. Suddenly her voice returned to her.

"S-Stop!" She shouted, trying with every ounce of strength she had to pull away from him. "Let me go!"

"You should know better than to take things that don't belong to you, Dearie." Marik chuckled, grinning wickedly.

He brought the dagger high… and Anzu squeezed her eyes shut.

Without thinking, she screamed.

She half expected to feel the blade cut into her wrist…. But she didn't.

"Let. Her. Go." A voice growled.

Anzu's eyes shot open…. And she saw Mamoru, wrenching Marik's arm back and keeping the blade at bay.

There was something in Mamoru's gaze…. And she was positive that she'd seen it somewhere else before.

It was as if some powerful force within him was banishing the darkness….

No… That was crazy. There was no way he'd have that kind of power….

"I won't repeat myself!" Mamoru snapped, tightening his hold on Marik's arm.

Marik smirked…. And dropped the blade.

"Very well." He said, letting go of Anzu and shoving her into Mamoru. "Take your little girlfriend. I have more pressing matters to attend to." He adjusted himself, picking up the Rod from the floor, and sheathing it again.

He made his exit, and for a few moments, Anzu forgot to breathe.

"Are you alright?"

Her gaze shot up to Mamoru, and she nodded, unable to form any coherent words.

"What were you even doing in here?!"

"I... Uh... Some things had gone missing, and... I thought..."

She couldn't finish her sentence. There was no way she could phrase it without giving too much away, or sounding crazy... Unless...

"Rei and I had some things stolen from our room... and... I had good reason to believe Marik had taken them... And I was right. I ended up finding what I was looking for."

Mamoru shot her a curious gaze before slipping his hand into his pocket. "Oh, that reminds me... You let this in my room the other night... Was this one of the items you were looking for?"

Anzu's eyes widened, and a grin stretched across her face. "Oh my god, I've been looking all over for this! Thank you, Mamoru... It's a... bit of a family heirloom."

Mamoru nodded before giving her a smile of his own. "Well, apparently Marik wasn't the only culprit. But I'm glad you found what you were looking for."

For a while, a silence had settled over the two of them. That is, until they both heard a scream echoed throughout the hallway.

Anzu recognized that scream.

"Usagi!" She gasped, rushing into the hall.

She'd forgotten about Ami, and everyone else.

But she was going to make sure that no one else on this blimp got hurt.

This, she swore.

* * *

><p>"Alright, who's up for some hot fudge sundaes?" Mina asked as she and the rest of the gang slipped into the kitchen.<p>

"I so am!" Usagi exclaimed, letting out a huff of exhaustion. "I forgot how much dueling can work up an appetite."

"Though, in your defense, _everything_ works up an appetite for you." Mina joked, to which Usagi stuck her tongue out in response.

"Make that two, Cous." Jounouchi added, pulling up a chair beside Usagi. "Extra sprinkles."

Mina rolled her eyes, and began to raid the freezer for the ingredients.

Usagi felt so relieved to finally have that duel over with… And she was glad that she'd managed to stay on good terms with Mai as well. That had been a bonus.

Now, she could relax…. At least until they started the quarter finals.

"Are you alright, Usagi?" A voice piped up.

She glanced to her left, seeing Yugi sitting beside her. She replied with a smile. "Yeah, I'm alright…. It's just been a long-."

Before she could finish her sentence, the lights in the room suddenly shut off.

"Hey, what gives?!" Jounouchi snapped. "Very funny, Honda. Turn the lights back on."

"That wasn't me, Dude." Honda retorted. "That was definitely Otogi."

"As if!" Otogi snapped.

As soon as they'd come to that conclusion, the emergency lights flickered on, plunging the room into a dark red color.

"Someone had to have cut the power…." Yugi said cautiously. "That's the only way the emergency lights would've kicked in."

Suddenly, the room grew cold…. And a mist began to form.

Usagi rose to her feet, her hand slipping into her pocket for her brooch. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end…. And she knew that something horrible was coming.

One glance at Mina told her that the two were on the same page.

Suddenly, the doors to the kitchen were pushed open… and the silhouette of a familiar figure stood in the doorway.

"Girls…. What a pleasant surprise."

Usagi froze…. And her fingers trembled against the cold metal of her brooch.

"Ami…." She whispered.

"W-Who…. Who let you out?" Mina demanded.

"That's none of your concern." Mercury snapped. "And I am not longer Ami…. I figured that even you two dumb blondes could figure that out."

Jounouchi and Hondo stepped into Mercury's path, blocking her from Mina and Usagi.

"Listen, Ami…. We don't want any more trouble…" Jounouchi said, looking down at her with a hint of sorrow in his gaze.

"Let's just talk this out." Honda added.

"Please, Ami!" Mina begged. "We don't want to fight anymore…"

Mercury looked over all of them… and smirked with amusement. "How cute." She chuckled, bringing up her hand. "But I think you all know how this is going to end."

Before anyone could do a thing, she brought up her pen and transformed.

The mist in the room thickened into a fog, and despite the room's size, it became difficult for the gang to see each other.

Usagi's eyes darted around the room.

"Where is she?!" Jounouchi shouted.

Usagi's heart pounded in her chest. Her fingers fumbled for her brooch, and she immediately held it about her head.

"I don't think so." A voice spoke from behind her.

Before she could move, she felt an arm crash down around her body, pinning her arms to her side, and forcing her to drop her brooch.

A blade of ice pressed against Usagi's throat… and Usagi was unsure of what to do.

Mina had taken this opportunity to transform… But it was far too late by the time she realized the situation Usagi was in.

The fog cleared, revealing a terrified Usagi pinned against Mercury.

Mina's throat closed over. She immediately held her hands to show that she meant no harm. "Ami… Take it easy…. I know you're still in there. Just drop the sword, and we can work this out!"

"The only way that anything will be worked out here is when Sailor Moon is dead!" Mercury hissed. "When all of the Sailor Scouts are dead, for that matter. I've lost _everything_ because of you! I would've been a queen!"

Neither Mina nor Usagi knew what she meant. Was this…. Something from their past?

Outside of the kitchen, Anzu and Rei stood pressed against the wall. They'd been hearing everything.

By a stroke of luck, Anzu had convinced Mamoru to go get the doctor, and to go alert Kaiba about the lights in the kitchen being cut. That would buy them plenty of time, and be able to keep their identities safe.

Once they'd seen Usagi's life was in danger, the girls transformed, and stepped onto the scene.

"Mercury!" Anzu snapped, gripping her staff tightly in her hands. "Let her go. Now!"

"Not a chance!" Mercury remarked, her grip tightening on Usagi. "And if any of you take a step towards her, her blood will be decorating the floor!"

"You don't need to do this!" Mina shouted.

Rei paused for a moment, recalling the vision she'd had two days ago…. This was the exact scene she'd envisioned.

"This isn't you!" She shouted to Mercury. "You know this is wrong!"

"Please…." Mina spoke again, her voice sounding on the verge of tears. "Just let her go…"

"Ami…" Usagi whispered, her voice finally returning to her. "Please… I know you're still in there…. I don't know who this is…. Whoever is controlling your body right now… But I know that it's not you…. Please… Ami…. You're stronger than this…. Fight it!"

"Shut up!" Mercury hissed, a dull pounding beginning to form in her head. "Your words mean nothing!"

Despite what she'd just said, Mercury's hand began to shake…. No…. The girl's strength was returning…. If this kept up, Ami would return…. And Mercury would be locked away again.

"I don't believe that." Usagi whispered. "Please…. Ami…."

"Stop calling me that!"

"No…. I won't…. Because I know Ami's still in there! I know that she can hear me!" Usagi snapped. "Please…. Ami…. Come back to us…." Tears rolled down Usagi's cheeks. "I don't want to fight you anymore…. Please…. I…. I want my best friend back!"

Mercury's willpower faltered…. And she felt Ami trying to claw her way to the surface….

"NO!" Mercury growled. "I won't let you take this away from me again!" She threw Usagi to the floor, raising her sword above her head. "Time to be rid of you, once and for all!"

"USAGI!"

Her name rang out in a chorus of screams… and Usagi knew what was coming next.

But then…. Usagi felt the chill suddenly lift from the room. The shadows against the wall dissipated slightly…

Usagi's eyes opened…. And she saw a figure standing in front of her.

The figure was translucent, almost as if at a halfway point between having a physical form, and being a spirit.

She had countered the blade with an ice sword of her own as Mercury tried to swing down on Usagi.

It was then that the gang realized who it was.

"Ami?" Usagi gasped.

Ami stood her ground before her darker half, practically glowing from the light within herself.

"Out of my way!" Mercury growled, trying to throw Ami off of her sword.

"No!" Ami growled, which had come as a surprise to everyone else. Ami's typically timid and quiet nature had disappeared. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

"I'll hurt whoever I please!" Mercury cackled. "This is my body now. And to solidify it, I'm going to destroy you!"

"How can you?" Ami snapped, stepping closer to her dark counterpart. The two of them were locked in their blades, trying to overpower each other. A smirk crossed Ami's lips. "You can't destroy me…. Because I _am_ you."

With a quick flick of her wrist, Ami disarmed Mercury. Both blades dropped to the floor, shattering on impact.

Ami grasped Mercury's shoulders, pinning her against the wall.

"You're nothing but a nightmare," Ami stated, noting that Mercury's figure was beginning to fade. "And now, it's time for me to wake up."

"No…. No! You don't know what you're doing!" Mercury shouted.

Ignoring her pleas, Ami kept her pinned, taking advantage of Mercury's weakness and attempting to reenter her body.

Ami's closed her eyes… and Mercury let out once last scream.

Ami's eyes slowly opened again… and she gasped.

She was back…. Her body was her own again.

Exhaustion crept its way into her body, and the next thing she knew, Ami was plummeting to the floor.

But for the first time this week, Ami felt completely whole.

And with that in mind, she let sleep come to her. Slowly she slipped into blissful darkness.


End file.
